


Make It Count

by yutaeilbot



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Almost attempted suicide, Character Death, Familial Abuse, Gun Violence, Implied Sexual Content, Infidelity, M/M, No Smut, Titanic AU, i basically just rewrote the movie, if you want to be technical lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:34:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21687646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yutaeilbot/pseuds/yutaeilbot
Summary: Titanic was called the ship of dreams.And it was. It really was.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Lee Jeno
Comments: 6
Kudos: 51
Collections: ’00 FIC FEST: ROUND ONE





	1. DAY ONE

**Author's Note:**

> hello welcome to the hell that is my submission for 2000 fic fest! wow good job clap clap 
> 
> thanks to all my buds who listened to me complain about this in the last week
> 
> @ the prompter: im so sorry
> 
> the end is pretty rushed so enjoy like 17K+ of. not ice berg.
> 
> (#00116)

Donghyuck was spoiled. There was no better way to say it. 

Hundreds of people gathered at the dock to marvel at the ship - some passengers, most not - but when he stepped from the car onto the sturdy wooden surface, Donghyuck merely turned his nose up at it.

He felt his fiance slide from the car behind him, and towards to face the taller male.

“I don’t see why we couldn’t have left on the other boat,” he said, nonchalant as he straightened his pristine suit jacket. “This one doesn’t look any different. Plus, we’d already be home.” 

“My dear, sweet Donghyuck,” Yukhei began with an incredulous sort of lilt to his voice. “Titanic is over 100 feet longer! And far more luxurious.” 

Yukhei turned to offer a hand to Donghyuck’s mother for her to hold onto as she climbed from the car as well. “Our Donghyuck is difficult to impress, isn’t he, Rosa?” 

The redheaded woman gave a little chuckle, stepping around Yukhei with the grace of a lioness ready to pounce as she took in the ship in front of them. “So, this is the unsinkable ship?” she asked, wry smile tilting her lips. Yukhei was quick to respond with his own witty quip, but Donghyuck had already turned away. 

A cursory glance over the dock showed him passengers of all types - rich, poor, young, old, all clearly discernible through appearance. The rich waltzed carelessly onto the ship, polished shoes and tight corsets making the rug-lined gang-plank feel more like a fashion show, while the poor stood on the dock, meticulously checked for disease, lice, any number of things that would be unpleasant in close quarters. 

The ship’s interior was as luxurious as Yukhei boasted. Freshly painted and dripping with crystal chandeliers, the floor covered by the most plush carpeting. Donghyuck was certain it cost a fortune merely to furnish the boat, let alone build it. That made sense, though, considering the combined net worth of the first class passengers. 

They were led promptly to their lodgings, several interconnected rooms including a sitting room, three bedrooms, a dressing room and restroom, as well as a private deck. It was beautiful, but left a bittersweet taste in Donghyuck’s mouth. He didn’t want to be there. 

The luggage was brought in promptly, trunk upon trunk set atop the expensive carpet alongside several art pieces he had indulged in the week they were in Paris. Donghyuck lifted one canvas with both hands - a mess of swirling colors by someone whose name he couldn’t seem to remember. He liked that one a lot, and therefore decided to place it to the side of the vanity in his bedroom so he could look at it when he was inevitably deep in thought while preparing for each day. 

Yukhei had come in with him and was greeting guests as they stopped by, but now stepped into his room with a dry laugh. “Those things certainly were a waste of money,” he said, offhandedly, looking uninterested at each piece Donghyuck set around the room. 

“They’re beautiful,” the younger snapped with a frown. “You’d be well aware of this if you had any taste.” 

The taller stepped forward and rested his hands on Donghyuck’s small waist. He leaned down and pressed his lips to his cheek. 

“I like to think I have plenty of taste,” Yukhei retorted, bringing one hand up to take the younger’s chin between his thumb and forefinger with a smirk. “Considering I’ve got a pretty thing like you on my arm, going to bear my last name in a few months.” 

Donghyuck blushed, hard-pressed to control his embarrassment regardless of how often Yukhei showered him with affection and any manner of praise. Even though their courtship and engagement period was over two years, he didn’t think he could ever get used to anyone saying such things to him or touching him like that. 

“My sweet little honeydrop.” Yukhei wrapped Donghyuck in his arms, leaning down to whisper in his ear, still smirking, always amused by how easy it was to make the other flush. “You’d find proof of my taste if you’d be willing to have me between those sheets with you more often.” 

The heat in his cheeks burned hotter at the words, and Donghyuck pushed fruitlessly at Yukhei’s chest until he let go with another chuckle. The taller ruffled Donghyuck’s brown hair with one hand before turning to leave the room once more. 

“I’ll see you for lunch, honeydrop,” he called behind him, leaving a flushed Donghyuck to slink to the floor with a few heaving breaths, skin crawling with the residual feeling of Yukhei’s arms around him, his mouth by his ear.

* * *

Jeno was a simple boy. He liked drawing, he liked the company of others, he liked pressing his luck. Most of the time he was on the receiving end of misfortune, but as he sat around the dingy bar table with Yeeun, Yuqi, and Yangyang, he couldn’t help the giddiness that rose in his chest. They were playing poker and — not to toot his own horn or anything — his hand was  _ good _ _._ It’d be a fucking miracle if he lost this time. 

“Alright,” he said slowly, glancing around at the others with a straight face and narrowed eyes. “Moment of truth.”

Yeeun grimaced and placed her cards gently on the table, huffing, “Nothing.” 

Jeno’s gaze continued to Yuqi, who huffed out a sigh, blowing orange tinted bangs from her forehead before letting her cards drop onto the table. “Fucking  _ nothing .”  _

Finally, he quirked an eyebrow at Yangyang, who laid his cards out calmly, dark eyes flickering to Jeno’s with a grin. 

“Oh,” the blonde hummed, looking over Yangyang’s cards. “Uh oh, two pair…” 

A sparkle lights in the Chinese boy’s eyes, seeming to believe he’s won until Jeno slams his hand down onto the table with a whoop. “Sorry, bud. Full house.” 

The boy’s eyes dimmed once more, his face falling with a groan. Yeeun and Yuqi seemed unsurprised, only peeved at losing the money and one pair of pearl earrings they’d added to the pot. 

Jeno’s heart pounded in his chest as he gathered the winnings, slipping money and earrings and a petite ring with a small stone into his pocket. He left the bottom item for last, so he could scoop it up dramatically; a third-class Titanic ticket. Headed to America. Leaving that day. 

“America,” he breathed with a grin. “I’m going to America.”

“No,” the barkeep nearby chuckled. “Titanic is going to America. In five minutes.”

_ “Fuck.” _ He jumped up from his seat and grabbed his bag from the floor before turning on his heel to sprint from the room, saluting the barkeep and his friends as he left. “Catch you later. I’m going to America.” 

The people seemed to blur around him as he ran, his worn canvas backpack thrown haphazardly over his shoulder. He bobbed and weaved through the crowds, eyes fixed on the gang-plank leading to the third-class entrance. They had just begun pulling it away from the open door, and he willed himself to go faster, to catch his ride. 

“Wait!” he called, sprinting up the gang-plank, waving the paper ticket in his hand. “I’m a passenger, wait!” 

His chest was heaving as he reached the door and offered his ticket to the unamused boatman waiting there. The man looked over the ticket, quirking an eyebrow at Jeno before nodded. 

“Have you been through inspection?” he asked, eyeing the blonde warily.

“‘Course I have,” he lied smoothly, expression even. “Just got distracted with my farewells.” 

“Right,” the boatman said, stepping aside so Jeno could step across the gap to run inside. 

Excitement pounding through his veins, Jeno sprinted up to the deck, leaning over the rail and shouting goodbyes to the people below. He didn’t know anyone, of course, being a drifter himself, but that wasn’t the point. Not to him, at least.

“Goodbye!” he hollered with a laugh, waving as if he was parting with his lover. “I’ll miss you!” 

He stayed on deck as the engine powered up and the boat surged forwards, lead away from the dock by several tugboats affixed to the front of the massive hull. Even as others dispersed to find their lodgings, he stayed top-side, watching the dock become smaller and smaller in their wake, until he could no longer see the city. 

Once it had really settled in that he had left, he turned as well and joined the other passengers in scurrying down the stairs to find the room listed on his ticket. It took a little looking and a lot of dodging other passengers, but he entered his room with a grin, nodding hello to the two boys already present, one sitting on one of the bottom bunks, the other wiping his hands as he looked out the window.

“Hi,” he greeted them, tossing his bag onto the bottom bunk of the other bed set. He offered his hand to the one sitting, who shook it, although a bit warily. “Lee Jeno. Nice to meet you.” 

“Jaemin,” the boy introduced himself, brows furrowed over dark eyes. 

Jeno flopped down onto the bed with his bag, smile plastered on his face even as his chest heaved as he caught his breath. Vaguely, he heard the second boy saying something in a language he only briefly understood as Chinese from his short acquaintanceship with Yangyang. He couldn’t understand what the boy was saying, but it didn’t matter. It really didn’t. He was going to America. 

* * *

“She’s the largest moving object made by man in all history,” Junmyeon bragged, sipping water from a clear crystal glass. “Mr. Kim here put her together.” 

To his right, Jongdae shook his head with a smile, trying to humble himself. “The idea was all Junmyeon’s, regardless of my hand in the building.”

Donghyuck sat perfectly poised to the left of his straight-backed mother and the right of Yukhei. Across from him sat Kim Jongdae, the builder of the boat, to his mother’s right. To Jongdae’s right was Jung Jaehyun, a kind-smiled man whose husband and son were home in America, Donghyuck’s mother called him ‘new money’ with a sort of disgusted smile. Across from Rosa sat Kim Junmyeon, proprietor of the ship. 

Although a typical lunch group, Donghyuck couldn’t help but feel oddly disgusted by the sheer amount of privilege surrounding him. He felt very out of place with his perfect posture, his corseted waist and the light rouging to his cheeks, the pastel green of his jacket compared to the dark suits of the other men. His mother always favored dressing him up, seemingly to flaunt their wealth and good looks, but Donghyuck knew the truth. He was meant to sit pretty like fishing bait on a hook. Yukhei had just happened to be the fish caught on the line.

He heard waitstaff stop by to collect their orders for lunch, but didn’t speak, knowing Yukhei would likely order for him, as was typical. 

“We’ll both have the lamb, rare, very little mint sauce,” Yukhei said beside him. Donghyuck cringed internally when Yukhei turned to him. “You like lamb, right, honeydrop?” 

Pleasant as ever, Donghyuck merely nodded offering his fiance a demure smile. 

“You planning on cutting his meat for him too, Yukhei?” Jaehyun chuckled from across the table, smile poorly hiding the clear disapproval in his voice. He changed the topic quickly, turning to Junmyeon beside him. “Who came up with the name Titanic?”

“I did,” the man answered, pride shining through the smiling apples of his cheeks. “I wanted to convey sheer size, indicating stability, luxury, and strength.”

“Are you familiar with a Dr. Freud, Mr. Kim?” Donghyuck asked, absently picking at a loose thread on the elaborate table cover. “His ideas about the male preoccupation with size might interest you.” 

Across the table, Jongdae and Jaehyun both choked on poorly concealed laughter. Junmyeon looked mildly confused.

“Donghyuck, what on earth?” his mother hissed to his left, slapping his thigh under the table. 

“Please, excuse me,” the boy said, standing abruptly and slipping past to step outside. He needed some air. 

“Quite a catch you’ve got there, Yukhei,” Jaehyun grinned, sipping from his own crystal chalice. “He’s a firecracker. You sure you can handle him?” 

“Perhaps I may need to pay mind to what he’s reading these days,” Yukhei retorted, eyes narrowed as he watched Donghyuck step out. “I’ll be right back.” 

* * *

The third class deck was pleasant at noon. Jeno sat with Jaemin while the other boy from their room leaned against the deck fence and sketched a father and daughter a few feet away. Jaemin absently noted the craftsmanship of the ship, and the other boy eagerly corrected him. 

“Is it not an English ship?” Jaemin asked with a pout.

“Of course not,” the other boy said, voice proud. “The Irish built this ship. Didn’t you hear that one guy on the dock talking about it when we were waiting?” 

Jaemin shook his head with a shrug. Jeno glanced over at them, meeting eyes with the boy he didn’t know, who then introduced himself.

“Huang Renjun,” he said, leaning forward and offering his hand. Jeno leaned forwards as well to shake it. “I was waiting for a moment to introduce myself after you and Jaemin got that out of the way, but you two fuckers really know how to chat about absolutely anything, huh?” 

In response to this, Jaemin stood and practically latched onto Renjun’s side, slipping his arms around the boy’s slight waist. He affectionately nuzzled his cheek, cooing, “Don’t be rude to our new friend, Junnie. It’s not our fault you have all the interests of one of those first class dames with your politics and your education.” 

Renjun sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, and quirked an eyebrow at Jeno upon realizing the blonde was still looking at him.

“You two know each other?” he asked, nodding towards the pair.

They both snorted at that, and Renjun held his left hand out to show off a thin silver band around his fourth finger. An engagement ring of sorts, perhaps. A promise ring at the very least. Jeno gaped at it and his eyes darted down to note a matching band on Jaemin’s hand. The brunette chuckled and pressed a sweet kiss to Renjun’s cheek, making him flush at the display of affection.

“Three years coming up, isn’t that right, baby?” Jaemin cooed again, eyes fixed on Renjun with a soft smile. 

“Tuesday,” Renjun replied softly, a smile slowly spreading across his face as well. It was obvious to anyone who saw them that the pair were smitten, so deeply in love that the sky could be falling around them and they wouldn’t mind so long as they were together. 

“Congratulations,” Jeno said, unable to keep himself from smiling as well. 

A speck of movement caught his attention beyond the pair, and Jeno’s eyes moved over, following the pastel green shirt of a boy on the first class deck. He looked unhappy, plush lips curved in a frown, brows furrowed over narrowed eyes. He was absolutely beautiful. For a moment, he seemed to look Jeno’s way; their eyes met briefly before he looked away, but Jeno was entranced. The boy looked back. 

Jaemin waved an arm in front of Jeno’s eyes, then followed his line of sight and chuckled. “There’s a higher chance this boat would sink than there is of someone like that giving you the time of day.” 

Jeno didn’t answer, eyes focused on the beautiful boy across the impossible canyon between the decks. They held eye contact until a tall man joined the boy, taking him by the arm and dragging his attention away. The boy frowned and yanked his arm from the dark haired man’s hold, then said a few seemingly sharp words before walking away, leaving the man looking frustrated on the deck and Jeno staring hopelessly after him.

* * *

That night saw Donghyuck sprinting across the deck of Titanic. He didn’t know where he was going, couldn’t see very well where he was going through the tears in his eyes. He just let his bare feet carry him on the wooden deck. The soft cotton of his sleep shirt fluttered wildly in the wind, sleeves flapping as he ran. After shoving himself through the gates of the first class deck, down and up stairs, and through another gate, he found himself running into the railings of the stern, overlooking the ocean behind them. 

His chest heaved as he choked out a sob. There was nowhere else for him to run. Unless… 

He gripped the top rail with shaking hands and slowly lifted himself over, one leg at a time, until he was standing on the other side of the rails. The rail was slick in his hands and against his bare feet, adding to his nerves as he slowly turned to face away from the deck. It’d be so easy for him to let go. So easy for him to jump, leave behind Yukhei and his mother, the expectations on his shoulders. 

Jeno, however, had been lounging on a bench on the deck, and shot up when Donghyuck ran past him. He followed a bit behind, watching with concerned eyes as the boy stopped at the railing and then climbed over. He approached slowly.

“Don’t do it,” Jeno said, coming to stand a few feet away from Donghyuck on the other side of the railing. 

Donghyuck’s head whipped around, his tear streaked face flushed red. His brow furrowed. “What?” he demanded, relaxing just a bit before tensing again when the blonde took a step forward. “Stay back! If you come any closer, I’ll let go.” 

They stared at each other for a moment, Hyuck’s chest heaving while Jeno looked on warily. He slowly walked forward, sure to maintain a few feet between of distance between them even as he stepped up to the railing. He rested his forearms on the slightly damp top rail, squinting as a bit of sea spray came up over the railing, and leaned over. 

“No you won’t.” 

Jeno tilted his head to the side, meeting Hyuck’s furious gaze with a juxtaposing ease that did not mirror how he felt inside. 

“How  _ dare _ you,” the brunette hissed with a grimace. “You don’t know me.” 

“You’re right,” Jeno conceded with a nod, looking back out at the inky darkness of the sea as they moved ever forward. “But I don’t think you really want to do this.”

“Just more proof to me that stupid men shouldn’t think.” 

“That’s fair, I guess.” The blonde shrugged, straightening up and taking one step to the side. “I’ll stop thinking. However, I don’t need to think to say that I’m involved now and I  _ know _ if you jump, I’ll be diving in right behind you.” 

“You’re crazy,” Donghyuck nearly shouted, hysterical. “Get away from me.” 

Jeno reached down and began untying his shoes, tugging the laces loose to dump them unceremoniously on the floor. “I guess,” he said. “But I can’t leave knowing you’ve put yourself in danger. Really not looking forward to the water down there.”

“The water?” the other echoed, sneaking a peek at the rippling waves beneath them. “The fall alone would kill you.”

“It’d hurt, yeah,” Jeno admitted, kicking his shoes behind himself and shrugging off his thread-bare jacket. “But the water is likely freezing and I know from experience that freezing water hurts like nothing you’ve ever felt before. So that’s the part I’d most like to avoid. I’m really hoping you’ll get me off the hook and come back over the railing.” 

“You won’t do it,” he said, voice even, a calm juxtaposition to the fire in his eyes. A fire Donghyuck probably wouldn’t be able to extinguish even if he tried — even if he wanted to. He didn’t want to. 

Donghyuck paused, his gaze alternating from Jeno to the ocean and back again. When the blonde offered his hand, Donghyuck’s hesitation was only due to letting go of the railing. Even with one hand still grasping the slick bar, the loss of one of his handholds made him nervous. His hand was shaking when he slid it into Jeno’s. 

The other boy’s grip was sturdy enough to have Donghyuck thinking he might be okay if he were to turn around, so he did so slowly, breathing heavily as he twisted to face the railing — and Jeno, by proxy — with a nervous laugh. 

“Phew.” Jeno offered a reassuring smile, reaching out to loosely take hold of Donghyuck’s other hand as well. “Hard part’s over. Lee Jeno.” 

“...Donghyuck.”

“Well, Donghyuck, let’s get you back over here, yeah?” 

With a nod, Donghyuck stepped up onto the next rung of the guardrail, but his feet slipped on the wet surface and sent him plunging down with a scream. Both of Jeno’s hands gripped one Donghyuck’s and Donghyuck reached up to grasp onto Jeno’s as well, gasping out fearful sobs and whimpers. 

“Listen to me! I’ve got you,” Jeno assured him, voice firm, gaze still burning. “I’ve got you. I won’t let go.” 

“Please,” the brunette sobbed, a little louder than he probably would have liked, nails digging into Jeno’s wrist as he held tight to him. “Please.” 

“I won’t let go,” he repeated, steady as ever. “You’re okay. Pull yourself up.” 

With Jeno’s help, Donghyuck was able to do just that, hefting himself up with the assistance of Jeno’s strength until he was in his original position again. Mindlessly, he reached across the rail to cling onto the blonde, arms wrapping tightly around his neck. 

When Jeno made to pull Donghyuck over the railing, his shirt caught on a rough section of the metal and tore a gash through the tan fabric. The tear caused some resistance to his pulling, and once it was released, Jeno found tugging Donghyuck over much easier, his unnecessary extra force going to waste and essentially sending the pair both onto the deck. He turned easily to lay Donghyuck’s panting form onto the ground first. 

Apparently Donghyuck’s voice had alarmed some of the boatmen, though, and three uniformed men stood nearby when Jeno straightened up from laying the brunette on the ground. One look at Donghyuck’s heaving chest, tear-stained cheeks, and torn shirt was enough for the men to deduce what they thought had happened. One of them glared at Jeno, pointing a thick finger in his direction before shouting.

“You, don’t move an inch.” He turned to shout at the men who had followed him. “Fetch the master at arms.” 

Ten minutes later found Jeno’s hands cuffed behind his back while Donghyuck sat a few feet away, wrapped in a blanket with several other men crowded around him. 

“This is outrageous,” a tall man said, taking Jeno’s collar in his fists and shaking him. “What made you think you could lay your hands on my fiance?” 

Jeno’s eyes flickered to Donghyuck, who was chewing his bottom lip, seeming deep in thought. 

“Look at me!” the man demanded, shaking Jeno once more.

“Yukhei,” Donghyuck finally spoke, but was ignored until he stepped up and put his hands on Yukhei’s bicep. “This is a misunderstanding. It was an accident.”

Time seemed to stop as everyone turned to look at him, disbelieving.

“An-an accident?” Yukhei repeated, gaping. “What on earth—”

“I was leaning over the back and I slipped,” Donghyuck explained, wide eyes darting between Yukhei and Jeno. Jeno raised an eyebrow at him. “I was trying to, um, l-look at the, uh, the—” He twirled his hand, stuttering over the words. 

“The propellers?” Yukhei supplied, unamused.

“Yes, yes. I was leaning over trying to look at the propellers and I would have fallen if Mr. Lee here hadn’t grabbed me,” he said, flashing a soft smile. “He almost went over himself, darling. He saved me.” 

“Is this true?” the gruff man behind Jeno asked, hands on the cuffs. 

The blonde looked at Donghyuck, whose eyes widened a little, pleading. 

“Uh, yeah,” Jeno said, glancing at Yukhei before turning to the master-at-arms. “That’s about how it went.” 

“Alright.” 

With that, Jeno was released, no other questions asked. He rubbed his wrists slightly — not because they hurt, really, but because he had seen it in a movie once — and looked at Yukhei and Donghyuck once more.

“We appreciate your assistance, Mr. Lee,” he said, wrapping an arm around Donghyuck’s waist almost protectively. “Have a nice evening.” 

They turned to walk away until one member of their party, an older man with a mustache that Donghyuck wasn’t entirely familiar with, caught Yukhei’s attention to say, “Maybe something for the boy?” 

“Ah, right. Clarke,” Yukhei called, snapping his fingers at his retainer. “Give Mr. Lee a 20 as thanks.”

“Is that the going rate for the love of your life?” Donghyuck interjected, looking up at Yukhei with round puppy dog eyes.

“Oh? Donghyuck is not pleased,” Yukhei chuckled, a grin playing at his lips. “What shall I do?”

Yukhei turned and walked back to Jeno, who regarded him coolly as he approached. 

“Perhaps you’d join us for dinner tomorrow night, then, Mr. Lee? To regale the story of your heroism to our group.” 

Jeno’s eyes darted to Donghyuck, who shifted from foot to foot, pulling the blanket closer around himself. He was obviously cold, not paying any mind to anything but his bare feet on the freezing ground.

“I’ll be there,” Jeno answered, meeting Yukhei’s eyes with a nod.

“We’ll see you then,” the taller said, turning as easily as he’d come and strutting away, muttering, “this will be interesting,” to that same mustachioed man. 

He wrapped an arm around Donghyuck once more, who shot Jeno a final glance, and they all walked away, leaving Jeno alone on deck once more, with only his thoughts to accompany him through the frozen night. 

* * *

Donghyuck sighed at his reflection in the vanity mirror, unconsciously scrutinizing his face accompanied by the soft tinkling tune from the darkwood music box in the center of the vanity table. He sighed again, curling in on himself as if he could retreat into the soft cotton of his fresh nightclothes. 

It was one thing to have been seen in such a state by Jeno — a stranger — but knowing he had run by several other people he’d be seeing in first class over the next few days made him dread the following days even more. At least Jeno had gone along with his lie; no one would know what really happened. Jeno deserved some proper thanks for that. 

The door of his chambers opened halfway through another inspection of his face (eyes bloodshot from crying, faded tear tracks down his cheeks, his nose still red from the nip of the cold), and Yukhei peeked his head in, entering with his normal confidence. Donghyuck straightened his posture reflexively, trained to appear pleasant and collected at all times. 

“I know you’ve been down and I won’t pretend to know why,” the elder said, lingering in the doorway for only a moment before stepping forward. He approached the table, gait natural and even like he was king of the world, and rudely shoved the music box to the side, nearly slamming the lid down to cease the song as he sat on the sturdy wooden surface. 

Donghyuck eyed Yukhei warily as he revealed a jewelry box, holding it out gingerly. 

“I was going to save this until the engagement party,” he started, tracing the edge of the box with the pads of his fingers. “But I thought tonight…” 

With an anti-climactic flick of his fingers, Yukhei opened the jewelry box, revealing to Donghyuck the largest green stone he’d ever seen. 

“Oh, my—” Donghyuck gasped, eyes wide as one hand flew to the edge of the box, fingertips resting on soft satin just below the sparkling giant. 

“It’s an emerald,” Yukhei said, smirking at the younger’s surprise. “I thought it might cheer you up as a reminder of how I feel about you.” 

Without another word, Yukhei stood once more, pulling the emerald from the box and turning to drape it around Donghyuck’s neck. They stared at the reflection in the mirror for a moment before he spoke again. 

“It’s for royalty.” He squatted by Donghyuck’s side, glancing at the bejeweled chain of the necklace, eyes following the delicate line of his fiance’s collarbones, disappearing under the plain flowing white of his shirt. Yukhei’s eyes flitted up to meet Donghyuck’s once more. “We are royalty.” 

Donghyuck reached up, gently framing the emerald resting on his chest before running his fingers over the chain of diamonds holding it around his neck.  _ It’s too much _ he wanted to say.  _ This is all too much. _ Yukhei’s fingers on his cheek, turning his head to face him, pulled Donghyuck from his thoughts. His chest clenched at their proximity, faces mere inches apart.

“You know there’s nothing I couldn’t give you,” the elder said, voice soft and eyes half-lidded as he took in Donghyuck’s face. He pressed their lips together gently, stroking his fingers over the brunette’s soft cheek. “Nothing I’d deny you, if you wouldn’t deny me.” 

The younger flushed, eyes met by Yukhei’s until Donghyuck dragged his gaze to the mirror once more. He stared at his reflection, hand still gently caressing the glimmering diamond chain of the necklace. No words came to him, stuck in his throat underneath the mass of nerves that seemed to almost choke him, and so he didn’t say anything.


	2. DAY TWO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nothin 2 see here folks

The next morning Jeno was sitting on the deck with Renjun and Jaemin, absently sketching a nearby pair of lovers holding hands and leaning against the fair railing. He was always engrossed in his art, eyes darting between subject and paper, fingers blackened by well-used charcoals — he almost didn’t notice Renjun trying to get his attention. 

“That boy is coming over here,” the brunette hissed, elbowing Jeno with a nod to their left. 

Sure enough, when Jeno looked up from his sketch, he saw a slightly nervous looking Donghyuck approaching them. He looked just as radiant as he had the first time Jeno had seen him across the deck, but much more casually dressed — loose fitting red shirt draped daintily over his shoulders, tucked into high-waisted black pants, brown hair falling fluffy over his forehead. 

“You’re staring,” Jaemin teased, laughing lowly. 

“Shut up!” Jeno grumbled, closing his sketchbook and whacking the other’s arm with it. The three of them turned their attention to Donghyuck as he stepped up to them. 

“Donghyuck,” the blonde greeted him with a smile. “Nice to see you. This is Jaemin and Renjun. We share a room down below.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Donghyuck said to the pair, shaking hands with both of them, much to their surprise. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I hope you won’t mind if I steal Mr. Lee for the day.”

“I’m sure we wouldn’t mind if you stole him forever,” Jaemin replied, this time earning an elbow to the side from his partner.

“We don’t mind at all,” Renjun said with a soft smile before turning his gaze to Jeno, expression hard. “Mind your manners.” 

“Of course, mom.” Jeno rolled his eyes, tucking his sketchbook under his arm and standing with a melodramatic flourish toward Donghyuck. “After you, sir.” 

The brunette rolled his eyes but stepped away anyway, saying a soft farewell to Jaemin and Renjun before leading the way from the third class deck to first. 

“What can I do for you, Hyuck?” Jeno asked, following dutifully behind. “Is it okay if I call you Hyuck?”

Donghyuck didn’t answer, as he was not quite certain how he felt about someone who was essentially a stranger calling him a nickname. On the other hand, it wasn’t uncomfortable, and Jeno was slowly starting to feel less and less like a stranger. 

They only grew closer over the time they spent walking around the upper deck. Donghyuck was curious about Jeno, and didn’t bother trying to hide his interest. He asked question after question, eager to learn about Jeno’s lower class upbringing. 

“So,” Jeno huffed out a laugh as they finished their third lap around the deck. He leaned on the railing, clutching the folder of his drawing supplies lest they slip from his hands. “We’ve spent most of the morning walking around the deck but I don’t think you really brought me here to chat, eh?”

It was true; Donghyuck had been stalling, asking about where Jeno grew up, how he managed so much travel, even talking about how wonderful the weather was thus far on the trip. He paused as well, standing against the railing a few feet away from Jeno. 

“Mr. Lee, I—”

“Jeno,” the blonde cut him off with a soft smile.

“Jeno… I just wanted to thank you again,” Donghyuck said with a nervous smile of his own. “Not only for your help but—but for your discretion.” 

Jeno raised an eyebrow. “You’re welcome.”

“I know what you’re thinking.” It was Donghyuck’s turn to laugh. He turned to cross his arms over the railing, uncaring of any potential soiling of his soft, silken shirt. “Poor rich boy, what misery could you know?” 

“Nah,” Jeno was quick to step to Donghyuck’s side, crossing his arms similarly and looking over with eyes squinting in the early afternoon sun. “What I was thinking was more like what could have happened to this boy that made him think there was no other way?” 

The brunette stared at him and swallowed harshly.

“Well…” He licked his dry lips. “It was everything. Things are just barreling forward and I—I’m just stuck here, feeling too big for my own skin but too weak to stop anything.”

He lifted his hand to show Jeno the large diamond ring perfectly fitted on his left ring finger. Jeno gaped and let out a little incredulous laugh.

“That thing’s huge,” he said with a smile, trying to lessen the tension. “You would have sunk straight to the bottom.” 

“The invitations are out,” Donghyuck continued, taking a deep breath. “Everyone who’s anyone will be there, and I just feel like I’m standing in the middle of a crowded room, screaming, and no one even bothers a glance in my direction. I don’t know what to do.” 

“Well, do you love him?” Jeno asked, quirking an eyebrow.

The words hit Donghyuck like a ton of bricks, making his chest tighten uncomfortably. Did he love Yukhei? Had he ever? 

“Excuse me?” 

“I asked if you love him.” 

“This is  _ not _ an appropriate conversation for us to be having,” the brunette sputtered. He could feel himself flushing. “We’re not having this conversation.” 

“It’s a simple question, Hyuck,” Jeno said, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Do you love the guy or not?” 

“You’re being very rude,” Donghyuck snapped, straightening up and stepping away from the rail. “I wanted to thank you and I did, so now the conversation is finished and we can be on our way.” 

He reached out and shook Jeno’s hand, growing more and more irritated as the Jeno grinned, unable to keep it back any longer.

“So, goodbye, Jeno. Mr. Lee.”

Donghyuck huffed and turned on his heel to walk away when a thought hit him. He turned back once more and pointed a finger at Jeno.

“Wait a minute,” he said. “I don’t have to leave. This is my part of the ship.  _You_ leave.”

“Well, well, well.” The blonde’s grin grew as he spoke, and he leaned against the railing casually. “Now who’s being rude?”

_ “ God _ _,”_ Donghyuck groaned, frowning. “You are so annoying!” 

“You’re going to get wrinkles here if you keep frowning so much,” Jeno said, reaching one hand to press a finger between Donghyuck’s eyebrows. The brunette deflated considerably, his frown and wrinkles fading. 

“Shut up,” he said, taking a moment to grab Jeno’s sketching supplies and back away to one of the many chairs lining the deck of the ship. “What is this stupid thing you’re carrying around, anyway?” 

Absently, he flipped through a few of the loose pages of paper, casting interested glances at Jeno who had come to sit on a chair next to his.

“Jeno,” he started, flipping through another few pages. “These are quite good. They’re really good.” 

“They didn’t think too much of them in Paris,” Jeno responded, giving his own pout. 

“Paris?” Donghyuck echoed. “You do get around, for a poo—” 

He stopped himself, swallowing thickly before stuttering, “I—I mean, um, for a person of, uh, limited means—”

“It’s okay,” the other said, with a nod. “You can say it. I get around for a poor guy.” 

Donghyuck didn’t respond and turned his attention fully to the sketches he flipped through. One drawn woman caught his attention after appearing on several pages in a row.

“You liked this woman,” he noted, flipping through a few more pages of her. “I think you must have had a love affair with her.”

“God, no,” Jeno laughed, reaching over to flip another few pages to a torso-up portrait of the woman in the nude, one arm rested casually at her head, the other below her chin. “She had beautiful hands, is all, see?” 

“And these are, um… drawn from life?” Donghyuck cleared his throat softly, trying to shield the nude image from some people passing by. He’d never admit the images flustered him, but there was an inherent sense of intimacy and eroticism in the poses, the energy they carried.

“That’s the good thing about Paris,” the other mused, staring fondly at the pieces on the page. “Plenty of people willing to take their clothes off.” 

The brunette gaped at him, scandalized, and was met with a cocky grin that made him flush once more. 

“There’s more,” he said, reaching once more to flip another page, this time showing an exquisitely dressed woman, dropped in all manner of finery and jewels. “This woman wore her finest every night and sat in this bar waiting for her true love to return. See how the dress is all moth-eaten? Poor woman.”

After a moment of taking in all the small details from the image, Donghyuck glanced at Jeno before saying, “You have a gift, Jeno. You really do. You see people.” 

“I see you,” he retorted, straight faced as he looked into Donghyuck’s warm brown eyes.

Donghyuck straightened up a little with a little smile. “And?” 

“You wouldn’t have jumped,” Jeno said confidently, his smile spreading across his face once more.

Donghyuck deflated all over again with a little pout, before closing the folder of Jeno’s sketches and shoving it back towards his chest. The blonde laughed, taking the pictures without a fight. 

* * *

Regardless of their little tiff, the pair spent the better part of the afternoon on the boat deck. Jeno captivated Donghyuck with the tales of everywhere he’d been — Paris, New York City, the Santa Monica pier — and had the brunette hanging off every word as if it were some sort of fantasy novel.

“I worked my way around, see,” Jeno said, smiling softly at all the memories. “When I stayed in Santa Monica, I set up shop right by the pier and did portraits for 10 cents a pop.”

“Jeno,” Donghyuck gasped, frowning. “Your art is worth so much more.”

“Maybe to you,” the other scoffed, leaning back in his chair. “I’d say I charged pretty fairly. Fair enough to hang around for a week and then leave. That’s what matters.” 

“I wish I could be like you,” Donghyuck sighed dreamily, letting himself slouch back in the deck chair he’d been sitting on. “Travel around and do whatever you want, and then leave again when the urge hits.” 

He looked out over the ocean, thinking carefully about what he’d say next. Hearing all of Jeno’s stories ignited a wanderlust in Donghyuck that he’d been fighting for years, a sense of longing for a place he’d never been but wanted to see desperately. After a moment, he curled his legs up onto the seat and turned to whisper towards Jeno.

“Say we’ll go there, back to Santa Monica and the pier,” he said softly. “You and me. Even if it’s just saying it.” 

“Of course, we’ll go there,” Jeno indulged him, grinning that carefree grin of his. “We’ll drink bad beer and ride the rollercoaster until we throw up.” 

Donghyuck laughed, playing the hypothetical scene over and over in his head; him and Jeno laughing through large mugs of cheap beer, riding the rides on the pier over and over until they’re dizzy from it all. He tried not to think about how, in his mind, all he wanted to do was hold Jeno’s hand through it all, feel the warmth of his calloused skin flooding into him. 

“We’ll have to ride horses on the shore, too. Right in the surf.”

That made Donghyuck pause. He was no stranger to horses, but he’d never had much luck in actually riding one.

“Oh? No horses?” the blonde asked, almost teasing.

“No! We can, I’ve just…” Donghyuck hesitated once more, diverting his gaze from Jeno to out across the horizon, painted in soft oranges and yellows with the slowly setting sun. “It’s been a while since I was able to successfully ride a horse.”

“That’s because you’re too stiff,” Jeno laughed. “They can feel your tenseness and they don’t like it.” 

It seemed like a ridiculous notion, one Donghyuck wanted to scoff at, but the more he thought about it, he’d always been nervous around animals and they never seemed to like him much. Maybe the idea wasn’t too far fetched. 

“Animals make me… anxious,” he finally said after a moment, twiddling his thumbs. “I can never seen to lose that stiffness. Can you help me?” 

“What, they didn’t teach you how to relax at your fancy schools?” This time it was a genuine tease, complete with a grin, the type Donghyuck knew only sat comfortably on the lips of trouble. 

“Sure, I can teach you to loosen up.” Jeno’s grin didn’t fade as he continued, leaning comfortably over the deck railing. “I’ll show you how to unwind like a poor guy, how to drink like a poor guy, how to fight like a poor guy—”

“I don’t need to know how to fight, Jeno,” Donghyuck scoffed with a roll of his eyes. 

“Of course you do!” the other insisted, straightening up and turning to face Donghyuck. “I’ll show you right now. Put ‘em up.”

He shifted his stance a little, bending slightly at the knees, and lifted up his hands in fists. Donghyuck merely stared at him for a moment, hoping he was joking, but when Jeno didn’t back down, he sighed and raised his fists too.

“No, no, no,” Jeno sighed, rising from his slightly lowered posture and taking one of Donghyuck’s hands in his own. He took a moment to readjust his fingers into a proper fist. “If you punch someone the other way, you could break your hand or something. Try again and hit me.”

Once he shifted back into his fighting stance, Jeno stared at Donghyuck with an intensity that rivaled what he’d experienced last night when the blonde helped him over the rail. Jeno was serious about this. 

Donghyuck extended his arm and connected with Jeno’s shoulder, a weak punch that probably didn’t really count as a punch at all. There was no force behind it, no fight or flight instinct or desire to even learn.

“Come on,” Jeno groaned, straightening up for the third time and yanking Hyuck around to face the rail of the ship. 

“Huh?”

The blonde crowded behind Donghyuck, taking one hand each in his own and placing raising them to guide the other through the motions of a proper punch. Donghyuck tried not to think about how he could practically feel Jeno’s warmth radiating from him through the thin layer of his silken shirt, his firm chest pressed to his back.

“Donghyuck?”

The sound of his mother’s voice pulled Donghyuck and Jeno both from their moment, and they stepped apart as if they were burned. Sure enough, standing right by them were his mother with another woman and two men, including Jaehyun, who looked between the pair with knowing eyes and raised eyebrows. 

“Mother!” the brunette half-squeaked, moving quickly to stand at her side. He gestured vaguely to Jeno. “This is Jeno Lee, the man that saved me last night.” 

“Pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Jeno said, flashing her a dazzling smile. 

“Charmed, I’m sure,” Donghyuck’s mother replied, eyeing him coldly.

Everyone greet Jeno kindly and asked their questions with gentle voices, seeming curious about the man who was done Donhyuck such a service, but the brunette's mother watched the other boy with a poorly concealed sneer. Jeno seemed to pay no mind to it, but Donghyuck knew she plotting something, planning to be rid of him quickly as if he were some dangerous bug standing on the first class deck. 

After a moment, a man with a bugle stepped onto the deck and blasted a tune just behind Donghyuck's mother. The startled face she made had Jeno biting back a laugh. 

"Why do they always announce dinner like a damn cavalry charge?" Jaehyun sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Donghyuck turned to his mother, hooking their arms together and took a step away, saying, "Come, mother. Let's dress for dinner." 

As he walked away, he glanced at Jeno over his shoulder, calling a soft, "We'll see you at dinner."

Jeno watched Donghyuck and his mother and the other two walk away with a look that surely betrayed how smitten he was. He was so caught up in Donghyuck's dainty steps, his posture, the bounce of his fluffy hair that he almost didn't notice Jaehyun was trying to talk to him. 

"Dude!" The elder snapped, finally pulling him from his thoughts. "Do you have any idea what the fuck you're doing?" 

The blonde grinned at Jaehyun's crude language, feeling more at home with his relaxed stance, his exasperated look and informal language. This was his type of company. 

"Not a clue," he answered, leaning casually against the railing. "I'm winging this in its entirety." 

"You're about to throw yourself to the sharks, Jeno," Jaehyun said, his voice laced with something Jeno couldn't quite place. It almost sounded pleading. Like Jaehyun really wanted Jeno to think about if he wanted to do this.

"I figured as much." Jeno shrugged.

"What are you even going to wear?" Jaehyun asked, shaking his head. Jeno gestured vaguely to himself. "I thought so. Come with me."

* * *

Twenty minutes later found Jeno standing in front of a mirror with Jaehyun helping him smoothly slide on a tailcoat to complete his suit ensemble.

"Well, look at you," Jaehyun said, now smiling softly, almost fondly. "You shine up like a new penny, huh?"

"I guess so," Jeno replied, absentminded as he smoothed back his styled hair. He wasn't sure what exactly the elder had smeared on his head, but he had to admit he looked good done up like some first class tool. "I'm surprised you had something that would fit me. You seem stockier than me."

"I wouldn't be surprised if my clothes fit you like a child playing dress up," Jaehyun laughed, turning Jeno to face him in order to press down any wrinkles and straighten his collar. "I was bringing this home for my son. I think he's only a year older than you; you're just about the same size."

Jeno looked up from Jaehyun's hands on his collar to his face, wide-eyed and blinking in the realization of the elder's mannerisms. It was almost like he could see in Jaehyun's mind the reflection of his son in Jeno's face, the freedom of being a young man with no worry of class or duty.

"Your son is like me?"

"Not entirely." Jaehyun hummed thoughtfully. "He's not used to the whole money thing, though. I can see him struggling with all the shit people expect of him now that our name is well-known in these circles. Most aren't kind to what they call 'new money.'"

"I see..."

"He may be older than you, but he's got his passions like you do, he's got eyes for what he likes even if he shouldn't. He doesn't fit in with these rich people, and neither do you, but we do what we need to do for the people we love, yeah?" Jaehyun was barely even speaking to him anymore, more voicing his thoughts than anything. He rested his hands firmly on Jeno's chest, meeting his eyes with his own, soft but stern. "Be careful. He's a handful and Yukhei is worse. I hope you know what you're doing."

"Didn't I already tell you?" Jeno grinned, but it wasn't the same as usual — it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm winging this in its entirety."

* * *

"I knew you didn't wear your corset out today," Rosa huffed, yanking the strings harshly with every strained breath she squeezed from Donghyuck's mouth. "And you spent the day fraternizing with  _ third class _ _?_ I thought you knew better."

"Mother, please," the brunette said between harsh breaths. "You'll give yourself a nose bleed."

She responded with another harsh yank of the strings, this time pulling a loud gasp from her son as his knees buckled. He held himself up with the bedpost he used to keep himself steady whenever his mother was in charge of tightening his corset.

"Mind your manners, my love," Rosa cooed, letting the strings loosen just enough for Donghyuck to right himself. She tied them off quickly, tightly, before he could make another quip. "I'm still expecting a lot of you."

This time he didn't reply, instead standing in place as she turned away to choose her own evening wear. Once he was sure she wasn't looking at him, he pressed a hand to his waist, just under his ribs, grimacing at the throb of pain that would likely hurt for a while. He wondered briefly if she ever had her corsets so tight they bruised or if it was special treatment for him.

"Yes, mother," he finally said after a moment, reaching for his clothing to pull on over top his corset, hoping the strings would somehow come loose before the night was up. "Of course, mother."

* * *

To say Jeno was out of his depth would have been an understatement. He stood at the bottom of the grand staircase, watching curiously as finely dressed men and women passed this way and that, some with their arms hooked together, some a respectable distance from one another. Watching and imitating the actions of others wasn't unfamiliar to him, so he easily picked out an action here, a posture there, and adjusted himself accordingly.

It wasn't long before Yukhei and Rosa came down the stairs, not paying Jeno any mind beyond a respectful nod of the head from Yukhei as they turned the corner and continued on their way. Jeno stood there, expression falling into an unamused pout as they walked away from him. He sighed under his breath.

A soft chuckle pulled him from his thoughts, and he looked up to the landing of the stairs to find Donghyuck standing there, smiling at his childish expression. It was all Jeno could do to stare at the other boy, a vision in red and black, lips rouged and hair pushed back from his face save for a lone swoop on his forehead.

Jeno stepped towards the center of the staircase the meet Donghyuck has he descended, and bowed in greeting. The brunette did his own sort of bow in return, smiling a shy smile with a quick glance around the room. Jeno took his hand and gently pressed his lips to the other's knuckles.

"I saw that in a film once and I always wanted to do it," he admitted, voice soft, grin ever present.

Donghyuck laughed, his smile spreading and he came down the last few steps to stand at Jeno's side. They didn't say anything else for the moment, instead pleased enough to stand in silence for a moment before Donghyuck looped their arms and tugged Jeno towards Yukhei and his mother.

"Mother, Yukhei," he called, catching the pair's attention easily. "I'm sure you remember Mr. Lee."

Yukhei blinked, not bothering to hide the surprise on his face or the way he gave Jeno a once over.

"Mr. Lee," he said, sounding awed. "I hardly recognized you. You could almost be mistaken for a gentleman."

"Almost," Jeno echoed, smiling a cloying smile that made Rosa scowl.

"Shall we?" Yukhei gestured vaguely into the large open dining space and began weaving his way between tables with Rosa at his side.

Donghyuck and Jeno walked side-by-side, their arms linked as Donghyuck occasionally whispered bits of gossip and minor introductions to the blonde.

"That's Doyoung and Taeyong," he said softly, gesturing with his head towards a male couple, one with perfectly coiffed black hair and the other with striking red. Donghyuck waggled his eyebrows in a way that bordered comical. "Taeyong designs lingerie. Quite popular among royal families, non-royal families, even some of these fine people you're rubbing elbows with now."

Jeno held back a snort and a chuckle and managed to offer the pair a courteous nod of his head as they passed by.

"There's the Countess Bae Joohyun." He nodded towards an icy looking woman draped in fine silks with another gorgeous woman practically attached to her side. "And that's her mistress, Lady Kang. From what I know Joohyun isn't married, but we all call Seulgi her mistress anyway. All they do is fool around where they shouldn't, and get caught more often than they'd like."

"By them is Kim Hyuna and her man. They've caused a big stink just recently after eloping. The upper class love a good wedding, you know. Quite disappointed a couple with money didn't waste it on all the bells and whistles."

Jeno's eye trailed next to the slight woman staring lovingly into the eyes of a man who looked back at her the same way. It almost took him aback, seeing how obviously in love they were in a group of people that he assumed only ever married for money or gain or convenience of some sort.

"There's Jackson Wang, quite the party thrower if you're lucky enough to get invited." Donghyuck raised a hand to hide his snicker.

"Do you speak from experience?"

Although Jeno meant it in jest, the mischievous twinkle in Donghyuck's eye was answer enough even without the brunette leaning a little closer to whisper, "I don't kiss and tell, Mr. Lee."

The words sent a pang of interest straight through Jeno, flirty and coquettish in a way fitting of Donghyuck, who then took a moment to detach himself from Jeno's arm and flit away to speak to a nearby pair he hadn't mentioned yet. Jeno merely watched as he went, hoping his own gaze wouldn't betray him in a similar way.

"Well, well, well," came a familiar voice. "Fancy seeing you here."

Jaehyun sauntered up to Jeno's side, taking his arm as Donghyuck had moments before. He offered the younger a soft smile and took a step forward, tugging Jeno along.

"Come on, loverboy," Jaehyun said with a grin. "If you stand there like that you'll make it obvious you don't belong here."

They walked by a few other couples and groups of people who seemed too tipsy for dinner to not even have been served yet.

"These people love money," Jaehyun continued, glancing around coolly. "So pretend you own a gold mine and you'll fit right in, dude."

Jeno nodded, taking a deep breath and puffing his chest out a little in an attempt to seem a little more self-confident. At his side, Jaehyun chuckled at the obvious show.

Hardly a minute passed before Donghyuck slid into place on Jeno's other side, linking their arms smoothly once more. He greeted Jaehyun politely and made sure to thank him for being so kind as to dress the blonde for the evening. That made Jeno flush a bit. Maybe he was more out of place than he thought. Or maybe Donghyuck could see through him enough to know he wouldn't own a suit.

The tinkling of silverware against glass caught everyone's attention, and all those standing and milling about made quick time in getting to their proper seats in order for the meal to properly start. Thankfully, Jaehyun and Donghyuck insisted Jeno sit between them during dinner, knowing he'd inevitably be confused by something in first-class dining.

It was a good thing they had that foresight, though, as he was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer number of utensils lined up beside his small plate. He leaned to Jaehyun to whisper, "Am I supposed to use all of these?"

"Start on the outside and work your way in," the elder muttered, taking a napkin from the table and placing it gingerly to the side. "Try not to think about it too hard."

Things went smoothly for the most part after that. Food was served and Jeno did his best to choke down the expensive tastes he was unaccustomed to with large gulps of champagne he definitely couldn't afford even on his best days. Not everything was intolerable, though. He did find himself thoroughly enjoying several of the nameless items that found their way onto his plate, especially at dessert, which also came with another assortment of top-shelf but very weak alcohol.

He was glad to have several drinks in him when Donghyuck's mother decided to strike.

"So, tell us about the rooming in steerage, Mr. Lee," she said so pleasantly Jeno could have almost forgotten she was trying to humiliate him.  _ Almost. _ "I've heard third-class is quite nice on Titanic."

"Best I've been in, ma'am," he answered, forced smile saccharine and on the edge of sour. "Hardly any rats."

A few uncomfortable chuckles spread across the table, followed by Yukhei clearing his throat and clarifying, "Mr. Lee is joining us from third-class after doing my fiance a considerable favor last night."

As if to prove some sort of point, Yukhei reached over and very obviously gripped Donghyuck's thigh under the table. The brunette stiffened, sitting up a little straighter and trying to will away the blush tinting his bronzed cheeks.

"Would you like to tell the tale, Mr. Lee?" Yukhei asked before taking a sip of his own drink, a nice red wine that he didn't seem to like too much judging on the slight frown that graced his features upon swallowing it.

"Sure." Jeno nodded, glancing at Donghyuck to his side before launching into the fabricated story of how Donghyuck had been curious to see the propellers, how he'd managed to slip and Jeno had been close enough nearby to step in and save the day. No one questioned it.

"And where do you live, Mr. Lee?" Rosa asked as soon as he was finished, taking a small bite of a small slice of cake placed in front of her by a mousy looking waiter.

"My current address is this lovely ship we're on right now," he swallowed a too-big bite of some sweet bread he had been chewing on and cleared his throat softly. "After that I'm a bird on the winds of fate."

"You find that kind of aimless existence  _ appealing _ _,_ do you?" She continued, sneering the last few words. She was obviously trying to provoke him.

"Well, yes, ma'am, I do," Jeno answered coolly, looking at her with big, almost innocent eyes. "I've got all I could ever need, you know? I've got air in my lungs and a few pieces of blank paper. It's exciting not knowing what's waiting for me; where I'll go and what I'll do, who I'm gonna meet."

His eyes flashed to Donghyuck, who glanced away, down at his empty dessert plate, that almost shy smile playing at his lips again.

"For example, two days ago I was sleeping under a bridge. Then I won my ticket for Ticket in a lucky hand in poker, and now I'm here, on the grandest ship in the world, having champagne with you fine people."

"All life is a game of luck," the mustachioed man Jeno remembered from the deck the night before said, lifting his drink in a mock toast.

"A man makes his own luck," Yukhei cut in abruptly, grinning sarcastically. "At least they should."

It took all of Jeno's effort not to visibly roll his eyes at the other's obvious jab. Instead he shrugged and took a sip of his champagne to pacify himself.

"I don't know," Donghyuck said suddenly, glancing from Yukhei to Jeno and back again. "I don't know about men making their own luck, but I think it doesn't much matter where the luck comes from. What matters more is what you do with it."

"How you make it count," Jeno agreed, flashing a brilliant smile. "Regardless of luck, it's making it count."

He watched as Donghyuck delicately lifted his glass with a nod of his head, and toasted. "To making it count."

"To making it count," the others at the table echoed, some lightly clinking their glasses together before taking drinks.

Donghyuck and Jeno met looked at each other for a minute, their eyes meeting briefly before glancing away once more.

* * *

There was a chunk of time where they all talked and laughed, somehow managing to avoid any more of Rosa's scathing class-related comments or Yukhei's regarding masculinity or status of some kind. Jaehyun had just finished telling a story of how his husband Johnny, responsible for finding some oil somewhere and getting rich quick, had come home drunk one night and accidentally set flame to a stack of money hidden in their oven. His laughter was loud, definitely amplified by the notable amount of alcohol he had downed over the course of the meal, and Jeno could help but smile as well, as if Jaehyun's glee was infectious, spread by perfect teeth and deep dimples.

But, like many things, the atmosphere was interrupted by the men of the table standing all at once. Jeno glanced around at all of them until Donghyuck leaned over and whispered, "Now brandy in the smoking room."

The man with the mustache spoke then, voice steady and certain, saying, "Join me for a brandy, gentlemen?"

Jeno scoffed to himself.

"Now they disappear and congratulate themselves on their many great achievements," Hyuck continued before straightening back up and pulling lightly on his suit jacket to straighten any wrinkles.

"Thank you all for your company," another man said, one Jeno hadn't caught the name of.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lee," many of them said, one after the other.

Yukhei leaned down and pressed a kiss to Donghyuck's cheek, making the color rise in the younger's cheeks.

"Shall I escort you back to the room?" he asked softly, gaze soft when trained on Donghyuck's face.

"No," the brunette answered with a small smile. "I think I'll stay and chat for a bit."

"Alright."

Their interaction left Jeno with just enough time to fetch a torn piece of paper from the suit pocket and snag a pencil from a passing waiter. He scribbled a message for Donghyuck to meet him by the large clock in by the stairs, and folded it into his palm.

Once Yukhei and the other men were a suitable distance away, Jeno stood as well, turning to face Donghyuck fully and taking one of his hands.

"Must you go?" Donghyuck asked, eyes widening dramatically as he pouted. "Really?"

"Probably," Jeno laughed at the other's expression, smiling fondly. He lifted Donghyuck's hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles like he had earlier. "Until tomorrow."

Careful to pass his note from his palm to Donghyuck's, Jeno pulled his hand away slowly. He raised an eyebrow and his eyes darted to Donghyuck's now clenched fist before turning on his heel and stepping away. As he made his way to the grand staircase, he spared a single glance back to see Donghyuck staring after him and then hurriedly opening the note before he disappeared from sight.

There was no telling if Donghyuck would join him, really, but he hoped, he really,  _ really  _ hoped that he would. Now that he had experienced Donghyuck's world, it was only fair he returned the favor, after all.

* * *

Honestly Donghyuck wasn't exactly sure what possessed him to excuse himself from the table and meet Jeno at the clock, but he sure wasn't against it when the blonde took his hand and tugged him away from the bustle of the first-class dining area.

"Let me show you a real party," Jeno said, leading Donghyuck away, whisking him further and further from the propriety and routine of the world he knew to the wilderness below decks.

It wasn't bad, especially compared to the horror stories some rich people told about what the lower class called a party. In fact, after Donghyuck got some cheap beer in him and loosened up a little, he found himself quite enjoying the atmosphere. The loud music being played by a group of people in the center of the room echoed nicely in his head as the alcohol cleared it out, and he really couldn't help himself from clapping along, laughing and smiling as Jeno danced with a curly haired little girl several feet away.

Donghyuck was mid-drink when Jeno stepped away from the little girl, dropping her hands and bowing dramatically, making a show of it and beaming at the girl's responding giggle.

"I'm going to dance with that boy now," Jeno said, barely audible to Donghyuck over the loud music, and gestured to Donghyuck sitting at the table with Renjun and Jaemin, who were several drinks in and draped over one another, looking horribly in love.

The little girl pouted at Jeno, and then over at Donghyuck, but went willingly when the elder took her hand and led her to the table.

"Come on," Jeno called to Donghyuck, taking his hand and tugging him forward like he had before. "Dance with me, Hyuck."

Donghyuck's first instinct was to panic. Sitting on the sideline was one thing, but taking part? Getting involved? He wasn't sure if it was such a good idea. His mind scrambled for an excuse, but his body went willingly coming to stand in front of Jeno with wide eyes.

"I-I don't know this dance," he stuttered, searching Jeno's face for something, though he wasn't sure what. "Jeno—"

"I don't either," the blonde laughed, smoothly snaking one arm around Donghyuck's waist and pulling him close. "But we'll have to get closer."

"Jeno, no—"

Protesting was a fruitless endeavor, especially when it seemed like Jeno knew Donghyuck better than he knew himself. There was no reason to hide, nothing to make Donghyuck shrink meekly into a corner as if he was sitting at dinner again with his mother and Yukhei. No one would judge him here. He knew that from the way everyone had greeted him wholeheartedly, complimenting his too-nice clothes and slapping a mug of lukewarm beer into his open hand. This was freedom.

So he relaxed into it, wrapped his arms around Jeno's broad shoulders and half-skipped around the room with him to the tune provided by the in-house band mere feet away. He laughed loudly, quickly and happily falling into the carefree atmosphere, the whoops and hollers from people sitting nearby, the way Jeno looked at him with eyes sparkling like the night sky. It was everything he dreamed his life could be. Happy. Loose. Wild.

He followed Jeno like it was second-nature, sweaty hands clasped together like a lifeline. When the blonde stepped up onto the center table and brought Donghyuck with him, he went willingly, clapping and laughing as Jeno stepped away to display some fancy footwork and even going as far as to showcase some of his own. Maybe all the different dancing classes his mother sent him to had some merit after all.

It wasn't too long until Donghyuck felt he needed to go, although he wasn't eager to leave. Surely Yukhei and his mother would be furious with him. He could only imagine the scolding he would get, though he didn't know when it would come.

Separating from Jeno and Renjun and Jaemin and even the little girl Jeno introduced as Beth felt like torture. On the slow trek back to his own lodging, Donghyuck couldn't help but feel a little like he was being suffocated, moving from the fresh air of an open field to the polluted inner city, choking on the smoke from passing cars and too many men smoking too many cigars.


	3. THE FINAL DAY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heres,,,,the big boy
> 
> tws for rosa being manipulative, abuse, derogatory use of the terms slut and whore, death, guns, the whole shabang

The Monday morning sun was bright as usual, streaming warmly onto the deck where Donghyuck and Yukhei sat, silent over their breakfast. 

“Would you like some coffee, sir?” One of their servants asked, leaning over slightly at Yukhei’s side. 

He shook his head and dismissed them, lifting a crystal glass of some sort of fruit juice to drink from. Donghyuck, stirring his tea, tried not to meet Yukhei’s eyes over the rim of his glass.

“I had hoped you would come to me last night,” the elder said, placing his glass gently on the table and then resting his elbows on either side before steepling his fingers in front of his face. His eyes were sharp, serious, almost out of place for a casual morning breakfast. 

Donghyuck took a sip of his tea to conceal his own shaky breath, and lowered his tea cup and saucer to the table as well, forcing a smile with a weak excuse of, “I was tired.” 

“I’m sure you were.” Yukhei barked out a laugh, nostrils flaring. “I’m sure your frolicking below decks was exhausting.” 

“How did you…” Donghyuck took a deep breath, not even trying to hide it, and averted his gaze to the side. “You had your wet-rag of a manservant follow me, did you? Typical.”

“You’re not to do that again.” Donghyuck could hear the strain in Yukhei’s voice, the clench of his jaw. 

“I’m not one of the workers in your mills, Yukhei,” the younger snapped, turning his fiery gaze back to his fiance. “I’m not someone beneath you to command. I’m your fiance.” 

“My fianc—” Yukehei’s expression morphed into one of rage, all furrowed brows and a sneer on his lips. He stands abruptly, his chair tipping backwards due to the motion, and swipes an arm across the table, sending china and food alike clattering to the ground. “My fiance!” 

Donghyuck flinches backwards in his chair, eyes going wide at the other’s outburst. 

Yukhei didn’t stop there, though; He continued through, lifting the light glass table with one hand and tossing it to the side with the rest of the mess, and stepped forward in the now empty space, slamming his hands on the arms of Donghyuck’s chair and effectively blocking him in. The anger rolled off of him in waves, nearly palpable at their distance. 

“Yes! You are!” He hissed, bringing his face close to Donghyuck’s. “And my husband in practice, if not yet by law. And you will _respect_ me, Donghyuck. You will _honor_ me like the pretty, subservient spouse you should be. I will not be made a fool of, do you understand me?” 

Donghyuck nodded, panicked and more than willing to agree if it meant Yukhei would back up, if it meant he could breathe again. For a moment it seemed as though the taller was going to speak again, eyeing Donghyuck’s frightened face with a kind of unamused annoyance, but instead he straightened up and turned on his heel. 

“Clean this up,” he said coolly, smoothing the wrinkles from his shirt before walking away, leaving Donghyuck on the verge of tears amongst a wasteland of broken glasses and spilled tea. 

* * *

The clean up was relatively quick, especially once Donghyuck’s most trusted maid stepped onto the deck. She gasped and dropped the clean linens in her hands to dash forward to where the boy had lowered himself onto the wooden floor and was trying to gather broken glass with shaking hands. She took over the cleaning with a gentle voice and calloused hands sweeping the glass from his own, and he stayed on the deck with her as she finished, sniffling between deep breaths until he trusted himself to stand and resume his morning routine. 

Donghyuck was part way through dressing for the day when his mother stepped into the room. The boy paused, taking in Rosa’s disapproving stare and dropping his hands from his buttons. She locked the door behind her.

“Off,” she commanded, grabbing a discarded bundle of fabric from the center table as she crossed the room with confident steps, gaze sharp as Donghyuck pulled the shirt over his head, leaving him in his thin cotton under-shirt. She handed the loosened corset to him and he, like a trained dog, pulled it on over his head, tugging it down until it was in place underneath his pectorals.

“I hate that you still make me do this,” he muttered, turning his back to her and bracing himself against the closest post of his bed. 

Rosa didn’t respond, merely grabbing the loose strings of the corset and tugging harshly. The silence was tense in the room as the woman worked. A few moments passed before she spoke again.

“You can’t see that boy again.” 

“Mother...” Donghyuck began with a heavy sigh. 

_“No.”_ She said firmly, taking hold of his cinched waist and turning him to look her in the eye. Her expression was grim. “You _can’t._ It’s too risky. You know the money’s gone—”

“You make it hard to forget!” he interrupted, brows furrowing over angry eyes. “You make sure to tell me every single day that the money is gone, that father left us less than nothing, that our entire future relies on me being a good catch for someone with a good name and the cash to back it up.” 

“Hyuck,” Rosa’s voice was stern. “It’s the least you could do.”

“That’s such a selfish way to think about this.” He averted his gaze from his mother’s face, bottom lip trembling. “You’ve been so selfish about all of this.” 

_“I’ve_ been selfish?” she let out a little incredulous laugh. “Donghyuck, I am your _mother._ I gave everything for you. I’ve given you every opportunity to find success. I’ve dressed you in fine silks and painted you up like a porcelain doll.” 

Donghyuck’s breath caught in his throat and his eyes darted back to her face. He didn’t bother trying to mask the anger bubbling within him. There wasn’t much space between them, so when he took a step towards her, she reflexively took a step back.

“Do you think this is what I want?” he hissed, the back of his throat stinging with the onset of angry tears. “Do you think I want you to treat me like an object at auction? You’ve only done those things so I can end up a jewel on the arm of some obnoxiously rich person who likes my face more than my brain. That’s an odd way to consider giving me opportunities for success.” 

Rosa gaped at him, eyes wide with something like betrayal. Like she couldn’t believe her darling boy would ever go against her wishes. He continued. 

“I could have gone to school! I could be in university right now!” he choked back a little sob at the thought of pursuing something interesting, filling his mind with knowledge, meeting people who liked him for his ideas, his personality. Things he’d never get to experience. “But you’ve spent all these years pampering me like a prize animal at a show. You’ve directed me towards any man or woman with a handsome purse that we’ve come across and you won’t stop, even now.”

“You’ve gotten what you wanted! You’ve sold me to the highest bidder to keep yourself afloat after father dumped his debts on you. Why do you insist on continuing to parade me around even though you’ve successfully let Yukhei sink his teeth into me? Do you think someone better will come around?” 

“No.” Rosa answered before he could continue, and stepped forward, regaining her footing in the conversation. “I know you, Donghyuck, and I know no other person would be stupid enough to try to hold on to you as hard as Wong Yukhei has tried.” 

Now it was Donghyuck’s turn to gape. After all these years, all the hardships and rejection, he’d never heard her be so unkind — even when men and women were unkind to him in their rebuffs, she had handled it so gracefully. 

“I keep your corset tight so he won’t lose interest,” she said, reaching her arms around him to grasp the loose strings of the corset once more. Donghyuck’s blood boiled. “So he doesn’t realize you’re more trouble than you’re worth. If you look pretty enough, anyone would ignore the drivel you spew.” 

“I don’t want to wear the damn corset!” he shouted, smacking her hands away. 

They both stared at each other, Donghyuck seething while Rosa’s shocked face morphed into one of sadness, _anguish ._

“Do you want to see us poor? All our fine things sold for nothing? Our memories slipping through our hands like sand in an hourglass? Is that what you want?” She turned her back to him and heaved a heavy breath, as if choking on a sob of her own. Donghyuck frowned. He knew she was trying to play him — it wasn’t a new routine — but part of him still couldn’t stand to think of those things. It felt like losing. 

And if there was one thing Donghyuck wasn’t, it was a loser. 

He sighed and turned to hold onto the bed post once more. 

“You know it’s not,” he said softly, hearing the _click-click_ of Rosa’s heels against the hardwood flooring as she turned back and stepped to him once more. The abrupt, sharp tug to the corset strings made him gasp harshly. 

“Just a little longer, Hyuckie,” she half-cooed. It sounded the way Donghyuck assumed a snake’s venom would feel coursing through his veins after being bitten, burning as it inched him closer to death. “Just a little longer and everything will work out. You’re not to see that boy again.” 

She yanked the strings once more, lacing them through the eyelets and grommets up the back of the corset as she went, almost seeming to enjoy the way Donghyuck’s breathing edged closer to wheezing with every tightening pull. 

“Okay, mother,” he gasped as she finished her work, tucking the excess string underneath the too-tight fabric. Gently, almost condescendingly, Rosa caressed his shoulder. He could practically hear her grin.

“That’s a good boy,” she cooed, stretching around to peck a kiss to his cheek, the red of her lipstick leaving a sticky spot on his tanned skin. “Now, to our tour.” 

* * *

It hadn’t made any sense to Jeno. He had been forcefully ejected from outside of the first class chapel by Yukhei’s boorish manservant and it seemed as though the entirety of the boatstaff now knew him and knew not to let him anywhere near Donghyuck or Yukhei. 

He spent the better part of the morning and a few hours of the afternoon scoping out the place, trying to find somewhere, _anywhere_ he could slip in unnoticed. He finally found a spot. 

After waiting a few minutes with his eyes peeled, Jeno hoisted himself up onto the first class deck, slipping behind a large venting pipe. He peeked out to make sure no one was staring at him before stepping out from behind it. Nearby, a father was playing with his two kids, and Jeno noticed the man’s jacket sitting on a deck chair. As he passed by, he scooped up the jacket and swung it on, covering his obviously third-class clothes under the black fabric. 

At some point the night before, Donghyuck had mentioned he and his mother would be touring the upper decks of the ship, so Jeno knew where to look. He licked his palms and tried to use his split to slick his hair back like it had been for dinner, hoping a sleeker appearance would help him blend in a little more. It wasn’t obvious to him if it worked or not, but he couldn’t bring himself to care; he was on a mission. 

He was hiding in one of the lesser traversed rooms on the top-most deck when he heard Rosa and Yukhei’s voices through the wall. A peek through the sheer curtains covering the windows confirmed their appearance, and he waited for them to pass to reach out the door and grab Donghyuck’s arm. 

“Wh—” the brunette nearly exclaimed, only calming upon seeing who, exactly, had grabbed him. Jeno pulled him into the room and closed the door behind them softly. 

“I need to talk to you,” he said, crowding Donghyuck up against the door. 

“This is impossible,” Donghyuck breathed in response, eyes wide and almost… fearful. “I can’t see you.”

“Just let me say my piece, Hyuck,” Jeno pleaded, gently taking his shoulders in hand. “Please.” 

“Jeno, I’m engaged,” Donghyuck blurted, eyes darting anxiously around the empty room. “I’m marrying Yukhei. I _love_ Yukhei.”

Jeno huffed out a little incredulous laugh, obviously disbelieving. 

“You’re amazing,” the blonde said, searching Donghyuck’s face as he spoke to gauge his reactions. “You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met. You’re incredible and your mind is incredible and there’s so much waiting in the world for you, but they’ve got you trapped.” 

Donghyuck shrugged his hands from his shoulders and wrapped his arms around himself, averting his gaze. Hearing Jeno say that wasn’t making it any easier to distance himself, especially when he knew it was true. 

“If you stay like this, it’s going to kill you.” Jeno raised his hands to cup the other boy’s cheeks, eyes pleading. “That fire I love about you is gonna burn out…” 

“It’s not up to you to save me,” Donghyuck said, glancing away again and effectively removing Jeno’s hands from him. The feeling of Jeno’s hands on him was too much. He was going to lose his resolve. 

“I know. That’s for you to do.” 

“Goodbye, Jeno.” 

With that, Jeno watched Donghyuck turn and leave, brushing him off like a fallen leaf in the Autumn. He watched him go with eyes full of longing that were blind to the brunette’s sad eyes, his pounding heart. 

* * *

After the tour, Donghyuck found himself at tea again with his mother and a few of her friends, who were eagerly chatting about a few wedding planning mishaps they’d run into thus far. Jaehyun sat a few tables from them, glancing at him with a furrowed brow and concerned eyes. Donghyuck tried not to pay attention to the elder, instead busying himself with people watching as he was wont to do during tea time. 

To his left sat a woman and two children, a boy and a girl, both dressed to the nines. He remembered being young, sitting stick straight at tea with his mother, going through the same motions that woman had both of her children going through. Sit up straight. Napkin on your lap. Dainty hands careful with the china. 

He watched those children go through the same motions he went through as a child, the same motions he went through as a young adult, the same motions he’d teach to adopted children that Yukhei would only pretend to adore for the publicity, the same motions he’d go through for life, and he decided he didn’t want that. He couldn’t do that. It was impossible. 

* * *

The soft footfalls sounded behind Jeno just as the sun began to set. He stood at the bow of the ship, as far forward as he could be without being on the other side of the rail, just looking over the ocean, over the endless horizon that made him feel like a king. 

“Hello, Jeno,” Donghyuck said from behind him. Jeno only turned a little, trying to look nonchalant even though he was pretty sure the sunset reflecting on the other’s skin was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He suddenly yearned to draw Donghyuck, but he knew he’d never be able to capture the lighting, the sparkle in Donghyuck’s eyes, the way it made him feel. 

“Hyuck.” 

“I…” 

Jeno stiffened slightly as Donghyuck stepped forward once more, inching ever closer to him. 

“I changed my mind,” he finished, pulling his light jacket closer to him to combat the chill of the evening breeze around them. “I—”

“Shh.” Jeno cut him off with a soft smile. He turned slightly and held out a hand. “Come here.” 

Donghyuck took Jeno’s outstretched hand and Jeno tugged him forward until he could take the space at the very front of the boat. He guided Donghyuck’s hands to the rail, and moved his to find a place on his waist as he rested his chin on the other’s shoulder, pressed firmly against one another. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” the blonde asked, hands idly stroking short paths up and down Donghyuck’s sides.

“It is,” Donghyuck confirmed, taking in the vast horizon in front of them — limitless, like their future. 

“You are too,” Jeno muttered, turning his head slightly to nose along the elegant line of Donghyuck’s neck, up to the corner of his jaw. 

The brunette turned his head to look at him, nearly breathless from the close proximity of their faces, the electricity flowing between them. Their hearts were pounding, scared and eager and hungry for one another. 

“Will you kiss me?” Donghyuck asked, his voice barely a whisper. 

“Can I?” Jeno retorted, that confident smirk beginning to pull at his lips. “Do you want me to?”

He knew the answer; they both did. He just wanted to hear Donghyuck say it — _needed_ to hear him say it. 

“Yes.” 

They came together like lock and key, the gentle touch of their lips opening doors to new possibilities, new paths sprawling out ahead of them like the unrolling of the red carpet at an awards show, welcoming them, beckoning them further along. Needless to say, it felt right. The gentle press of lips turned into something a little more, deeper and full of longing. 

Honestly if you asked Jeno how they went from the deck to the sitting room of Donghyuck’s quarters, he wouldn’t be able to answer. It seemed to all happen in a flash; one moment they were kissing on the deck, soaking in the rays of the setting sun, and the next Donghyuck was starting a fire in the fireplace, tugging furniture around and peeling off his own clothing layer by layer, haphazardly untying and tugging off the corset to throw it across the room. 

The brunette pushed Jeno onto one of the plush chairs and climbed gracefully onto his lap, topless and entirely too close to be proper. 

“Can you do something for me, Jeno?” he asked, leaning forward so the smooth expanse of his torso was pressed against the other. “I want you to draw me like your French girl. I’m going to go put on that god-awful necklace Yukhei gave me and I want you to draw me wearing it.” 

Jeno nodded, hoping the dim firelight in the room was enough to conceal the flush rising in his cheeks. 

“Wearing only the necklace, Jeno,” Donghyuck emphasized, resting his hands on Jeno’s neck, slender fingers splayed across sun-kissed skin. Jeno choked on his own spit when he went to speak an answer and settled for another more vigorous nod. Donghyuck kissed him again, plush lips demanding but still so sweet. “Good. I’ll be right back.”

Once Donghyuck had removed himself from Jeno’s lap and disappeared through one of the doors, the blonde set to work. He tugged one of the ornate couches towards the center of the room, imagining how the firelight will fall over Donghyuck’s body, the shadows and highlights catching on his cheekbones, the bridge of his nose. 

_It’s just another job_ _._ He told himself, trying to quiet the growing nerves in his belly. _Hyuck has seen your work. He likes your work. It’s just another job. Just like the pier._

His repetition didn’t seem to help, though, and he settled into his chair again to sharpen his tools, the charcoals he liked for his lines, the ones he preferred to shade with, all varying in length and hardness, all familiar to his experienced hands. 

“As a paying customer,” Donghyuck’s voice nearly startled Jeno when he reappeared, but he kept his cool, glancing up to find the brunette gently padding across the room in a floral patterned silk robe, held closed by a length of fabric at his slim waist. He held out a dime with a coy smile. “I expect you won’t disappoint me.” 

Jeno took the coin dumbly, looking from the shining silver in his palm to Donghyuck in front of him, illuminated by the firelight. 

“Did you set this up for me, Mr. Artist?” He asked, stepping towards the moved couch with a certainty Jeno did not feel. “How kind. You’ll have to tell me how you want me, you know.” 

“Just—” Jeno’s voice cracked, and he cleared his throat before continuing. “Do what feels natural and we’ll go from there.” 

There was a beat of silence when Donghyuck turned to face him again, toying with the end of the fabric tied at his waist. He wasn’t hesitating per se, and it took Jeno a moment to realize Donghyuck was _teasing_ him, watching his face carefully with excited eyes and his bottom lip between his teeth. 

“Hyuck…” His name fell from Jeno’s mouth softly, almost as if it was unintended, and Donghyuck took that as his cue to get a move on. 

He pulled the knot loose and let the robe fall open, slick and too-big on his shoulders, slipping down and off with little-to-no effort on Donghyuck’s part. Jeno’s eyes explored the now exposed skin, soaking in the details of Donghyuck’s body, the freckles on his neck and chest, the slight curve of his waist, the toned muscle of his thighs and — Jeno shook his head to snap himself out of his purely anatomical study of Donghyuck’s visage, and gestured for the other to sit on the couch. 

The nerves seemed to set in for Donghyuck as well as he lowered himself onto the couch, gently moving cushions this way and that to recline comfortably in their plush hold. 

“Lift your hand up again,” Jeno said abruptly, stopping Donghyuck as he wiggled around to be comfortable. “By your face.”

He did as he was instructed, relaxing back into the cushions with one hand resting up near his head and the other draped casually across his own abdomen. The giant emerald necklace sparkled obscenely in the flickering firelight, gorgeous as any jewel could be, but Jeno was entirely too focused on Donghyuck to even care how the necklace rested at the hollow of his throat. 

_Donghyuck._ Beautiful, fiery Donghyuck was spread out on a couch in front of him. Nude. Waiting to be drawn. Nude. It was all Jeno could do to keep his hands and breathing steady as he began, short but sure strokes of charcoal on paper doing their best to replicate the ethereal visage in front of him. 

“I do believe you’re blushing Mr. Artist,” Donghyuck teased, although flushed himself, meeting Jeno’s eyes when he glanced up to continue his reference. “That doesn’t seem very professional.”

“I’m not exactly a professional, am I?” Jeno retorted, swallowing harshly around the lump settling in his throat the longer he looked at the other laid out among the tassel pillows in cheesy upholstery florals. 

“Mm, I suppose not,” Donghyuck hummed thoughtfully, exhaling a long breath and wiggling slightly in place. 

“Try not to move,” Jeno said softly, eyes focused as they darted between subject and work, Donghyuck on the couch and Donghyuck on the paper. He gave himself a moment to catch the other’s eyes, staring into the warm brown and flecks of gold. “Eyes on me.”

“Right, right. Sorry.” 

Regardless of any nerves, Jeno was laser-focused on the work in front of him; sure his heart was likely to pound out of his chest, but art was one of his few great passions, and he’d be damned if he would let anything stop him from doing his best on what could possibly be the most important work of his life. He wouldn’t disappoint Donghyuck. He refused. It had to be perfect. 

Unfortunately, Donghyuck starts getting squirmy after a while, and Jeno finishes off the piece by fading away about mid-thigh to appease the brunette’s impatience. The blond squinted at the piece, inspecting it with ease, adjusting a shadow here, extending a line there, until he deemed it good enough and signed off on the bottom right corner. 

“Come see,” he said softly, the first words in a while breaking through the silence they had settled into. Donghyuck did just that, rising from the couch and stretching before pulling his robe back on and coming around to look over the other’s shoulder.

“It’s beautiful,” he said, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to Jeno’s cheek. “Will you date it, Jeno? I want to remember this night always.” 

Jeno nodded, humming in the affirmative before scribbling in the date under his name. He didn’t notice Donghyuck had stepped away until he turned only to be greeted by the open room behind him. After a moment, Donghyuck appeared once more, dressed again in a flowing beige nightshirt and a pair of dark shorts stopping mid-thigh. 

“You’re going to freeze in that,” Jeno teased as Donghyuck approached. The brunette responded by sticking his tongue out and grabbing the drawing before scurrying towards the closet once more. 

There’s a moment where all that was heard through the suite was the gentle scratching of a pencil on paper and then the opening and closing of the heavy safe Yukhei insisted on carrying around with them as Donghyuck tucked both the drawing and the necklace back inside. He joined Jeno in the sitting room once more, sliding onto the blonde’s lap as he had earlier in the evening. This time Jeno welcomed him with a warm smile and wrapped his arms around Donghyuck’s slight frame. 

“Thank you,” Donghyuck sighed happily, resting his head on Jeno’s shoulder with a smile. “This has been… the most amazing night.” 

“It’s not over yet, y’know,” Jeno chuckled, pressing his lips to the other’s forehead. “Doesn’t have to end yet.” 

“Oh? And what shall we do ne—” Donghyuck’s question was cut off by the sound of a key in the lock, and he stood quickly, eyes wide. When he took Jeno’s hand and started pulling him through the connected bedrooms of the suite, Jeno went easily enough, and they escaped back into the hallway before they could get caught inside. 

What the didn’t expect, however, was the sitting room door to open once more to reveal Clarke, Yukhei’s retainer, who looked right at them and began to approach. 

“Go,” Donghyuck choked out, grabbing Jeno’s hand and beginning to run. “Go, go!” 

Jeno took the hint and took off, sure to keep Donghyuck’s hand in his own regardless of the surprised sounds from a few people around them, regardless of Clarke’s footfalls not too far behind their own, regardless of how Donghyuck tripped over his own feet a few times. They raced down the hallway, turning sharply through corners until they could jump into one of the elevators, successfully startling the operator waiting within. 

“Take us down, please!” Donghyuck laughed, breathing hard.

The man didn’t reply, instead he reached forward to close the gate, which Jeno eagerly helped him with, before pulling the lever to begin their descent. 

Clarke ran into the gate not a moment later, expression furious as he, too, panted from the run. Donghyuck flinched into Jeno’s arms initially, but recovered quickly enough to flip him off and cackle as he ran off. 

“God, you’re nuts,” Jeno laughed breathily, holding Donghyuck tightly with the brightest smile the brunette thought he’d ever seen. “Incredible.” 

“Where are we going?” Donghyuck laughed in response, turning to face Jeno as they slowly made their way down into the bowels of the boat. 

“We’ll find out when we get there,” the blonde answered, grinning as the elevator slowed to a stop. 

The pair stepped off carefully, looking around for Clarke before taking off in one direction once more. It was exhilarating, really, running from things like this. Donghyuck felt like he’d never known freedom like this in his life. 

They didn’t see Clarke again, but somehow they ended up further down than originally intended, stalking through the corridor lined with the doors to the various cargo holds. Not wanting to press their luck, they entered the nearest one, slipping in quietly and stalking through as quickly as they could.

The warehouse-esque space was silent around them. Jeno pulled Donghyuck along behind him by the hand, peeking around piles of boxes and luggage as they snuck around crates and cars affixed to wooden pallets. 

With a little noise of realization, Donghyuck tugged on Jeno’s hand and took the lead instead, pulling him to the side towards one of the cars. It was the one he had arrived in with Yukhei and his mother. He let go of the blonde’s hand to climb into the backseat, and Jeno slid into the driver’s position with ease. The cab and the driver were separated by a window, which Donghyuck let down easily in order to wrap his arms around Jeno’s shoulders.

Jeno pressed the horn and laughed, apparently no longer feeling the need to be cautious as they were unlikely to be found down there, before clearing his throat dramatically and asking, “Where to?”

“Anywhere with you,” Donghyuck answered softly, pressing his lips to the nape of the other’s neck. “Anywhere.” 

He grabbed one of Jeno’s arms and pulled him backwards until the boy followed through the open window so they could settle in the backseat together. He rested his head on Jeno’s chest and took his hand, idly playing with his fingers while the blonde’s heart pounded near his ear.

“Are you nervous?” he asked softly, looking up through thick lashes at Jeno’s face mere inches from his. 

“No.” 

An obvious lie made more obvious by the way Jeno’s breath caught in his throat when Donghyuck lifted his hand and pressed his lips to every fingertip, slowly, carefully. He then sat up and turned to meet Jeno’s eyes, biting nervously into his bottom lip. 

Jeno watched the pink flood into Donghyuck’s cheeks as he pondered his next move, but didn’t understand why until the brunette was pulling his hand to the hem of his nightshirt. It was easy enough for Donghyuck to slide the hand just underneath pale fabric before looping his arms around the other’s neck with a whisper of, “Put your hands on me, Jeno.” 

Who could say no to that? 

This time the collision was messy, unpracticed and uncertain as Jeno pushed forward to kiss him hard, but their lips slotted together so naturally that it hardly seemed to matter. Their hands roamed freely, exploring the new areas granted to them, pulling appreciative hums and the occasional pleasured murmur from one another, though their lips never parted for long. 

Donghyuck pulled back first, whining uncertainly when Jeno’s hand gripped his thigh before sliding further to grope absently at his ass. 

“Hey,” Jeno cooed softly, retracting his hand quickly to gently cup the brunette’s cheek. “No rush. Anything you want to do.” 

“I… I want to do anything with you — everything,” Donghyuck replied quickly, pressing a few more small kisses to Jeno’s lips. “I’m just... “ 

They relaxed for a moment, Jeno unwilling to rush whatever was on Donghyuck’s mind and more than content to murmur sweet nothings in the heated cab of the car.

“Yukhei… is a selfish lover,” Donghyuck finally said after a moment, voice unsteady as if nervous. “I’ve only ever… taken? And it’s never… been _great_ _.“_

“It’s okay,” Jeno told him with a smile. “We can explore that another time, if you’d like. Right now I just want you to enjoy yourself.“ 

He pushed Donghyuck back with gentle hands, bringing the slender man to recline against the wall and crawling over to straddle his thighs. Their lips met once more, and Jeno took the other’s wrists and pulled them back so Donghyuck’s hands could rest on his ass instead. Donghyuck pulled back again to eye him warily. 

“If you want, of course,” the blonde said, flashing a coquettish grin. “Only if you want, Hyuck.” 

A moment passed of them mostly staring at one another, Jeno’s grin fading as the seconds ticked by. The air around them was heavy, thick with desire and tension that passed sparks between them. 

“He shouldn’t be the only one who gets to be selfish,” he murmured, leaning forward to duck his head into the crook of Donghyuck’s neck to press hot kisses to the beautiful skin there. “Be a little selfish with me now.”

A little noise bubbled out of Donghyuck’s throat when Jeno bit into the junction of his neck and shoulder, and the blonde grinned when his lover’s hands almost reflexively squeezed his ass. It was a start. There was no rush. They felt like they had forever. 

“I’ve never—” Donghyuck chokes on his words when Jeno licks a broad stripe up to nibble his earlobe. It was a sort of exciting pleasure he’d never been privy to before. 

“I’ll lead,” Jeno purred next to his ear, voice low, but then pulled back to make eye contact. “But this is for _you_ _._ You have to tell me if it’s not working. Be selfish. Take what’s yours when it’s being offered to you.” 

Donghyuck nodded, this time groping Jeno more confidently and earning a pleased little smile in return. Jeno pressed a hand to the window in front of him to steady himself when he leaned in for another kiss, uncaring of how his hand left a print on the already fogged glass. The air in the car only thickened as the moments passed, heated kisses and exploring hands quickly turning into starved mouths and desperate grips as their desire and anticipation peaked in the cabin of a car in cargo hold one.

* * *

Although they were warm enough tangled together in the car down below, the night breeze chilled them thoroughly the moment they stepped onto the deck. Donghyuck shivered, wrapping his arms around himself, and gave a loud laugh when Jeno wrapped him in the too-big jacket he had on. They shared a slow sweet kiss, both cold but giddy from their heads to the tips of their toes. 

“I’ve made a decision,” Donghyuck announced, facing Jeno fully without breaking the ring of warmth the jacket made around them. He kissed him once more. “When the ship docks… I’m getting off with you.” 

“Hyuck…” Jeno was apprehensive, searching his face for any sign of a joke, a neon light with “SIKE” blaring in his face. There was nothing of the sort; Donghyuck’s eyes sparkled like the night sky above them, earnest and adoring, his lips stretched into a wide smile. He meant it. “I… You.. This is crazy.”

“I know,” the brunette laughed, raising both hands to cup Jeno’s cheeks, thumbs idly brushing over his cheekbones. “It doesn’t make any sense. That’s why I trust it.” 

“Making it count, eh?” 

The two shared a short laugh before pressing their foreheads together, eyes closed. 

It really didn’t make any sense. Nothing about Donghyuck leaving behind his comfort and security made sense to Jeno. Nothing about staying stuck somewhere he felt so hopeless made sense to Donghyuck. Two sides of the same coin, a toss of fate that only time would unfold before them. 

“Okay,” Jeno said after a moment, opening his eyes once more to meet Donghyuck’s gaze. “We’ll get off together.” 

Donghyuck didn’t feel the need to say anything more, instead taking the moment to kiss him again once, twice, three times, giddy with anticipation. 

“So we go down to my room,” the blonde started, his own wide smile breaking out over his face. “Hide out there for the night. We dock tomorrow night, maybe the morning after, make a run for it? Are you su—”

A sudden, deafening grating noise cuts him off, accompanied by the ship shaking underneath them. Upon separating and turning to try to identify the noise, Donghyuck and Jeno came practically face-to-face with the looming side of an iceberg easily twice as tall as the ship. 

“Oh my god,” Donghyuck gasped, taking a step back as the sound and shaking continued.

Jeno followed suit, and pulled him back even farther just as a large, very solid chunk of ice was knocked loose from the iceberg and landed on the deck just in front of them with a too-loud _thud ._

“Oh my god,” Jeno echoed, instinctively tightening his grip on Donghyuck beside him. 

Some of the ship’s crew began scurrying around on the upper decks, around the wheelhouse especially, and the sight alone made Donghyuck shudder. They moved like ants, frenzied and panicked, and that was enough for anyone who was paying enough attention to understand what was happening. 

“We…” Donghyuck grasped at Jeno’s hands and arms, eyes not moving from the boatmen running about. “We should warn the others. We have to tell them.”

At first Jeno frowned. He wasn’t opposed to finding Jaemin and Renjun again, but the thought of them waltzing back into Donghyuck’s family’s suite, right where Yukhei was probably waiting for them… It didn’t rub him right. 

“Please, Jeno, we have to tell them.”

But who was he to deny anything Donghyuck wanted that he could reasonably give him? 

“Alright,” he assented with an uneasy nod. “We’ll tell them.” 

* * *

Upon arriving once more to Donghyuck’s family’s suite, the pair found themselves amongst quite a small crowd. Yukhei and Clarke stood to one side, talking animatedly with one of the valets on the ship, while the master at arms closely inspected the room. 

“Here they are now,” Clarke said lowly, approaching the pair at the door and ushering them inside. “The pair of the hour.” 

Donghyuck held Jeno’s hand tightly as they entered, glancing around at everyone with a general air of confusion about him.

“What’s going on?” he asked, looking to Yukhei with wide eyes. 

“It seems I’ve been robbed tonight, honeydrop,” the taller answered, voice sickeningly sweet as he approached and gently caressed Donghyuck’s cheek with the back of his hand. Donghyuck instinctively flinched away from him. “Now that one of my precious items is back, I’m sure the other can’t be far.”

His icy gaze flickered to Jeno, and he snapped vaguely in the blonde’s direction. “Search him.” 

“Hey! What?” Jeno demanded, trying in vain to escape the demanding hands of the boatmen and the master at arms. 

They stripped him of his coat quickly, something Jeno regretted immensely upon remembering he had — ahem — _borrowed_ the item earlier in the day. 

“The name on the tag reads a Mr. William Sharpsbury,” the master at arms said, side-eyeing Jeno as he spoke. “This was reported stolen earlier today.” 

“And what’s this?” Clarke lilted, reaching into the coat pocket and pulling out a rather expensive looking diamond chain, attached to it a large green emerald. 

Donghyuck gasped, eyes darting from Jeno to Clarke to Yukhei, searching for words he couldn’t seem to grasp. 

“This is bullshit!” Jeno shouted as two of the men yanked his arms behind his back to tightly secure a pair of handcuffs on his wrists. “You know I didn’t take that, Hyuck! They must have slipped it in my pocket. What the fuck?!” 

Yukhei wrapped an arm around Donghyuck’s shoulders, pulling the younger close to his side. 

“This… He couldn’t have,” Donghyuck whispered, disbelieving. “He was with me the whole time… I…” 

“Maybe he did it while you were putting your clothes back on, darling,” Yukhei retorted, that sweetness to his voice dripping with an underlying dose of venom. 

Donghyuck began shrinking in on himself, shoulders hunching up to his ears. The evening replayed in his mind, every moment of it, like watching a movie and searching for an easter egg. There really hadn’t been a single moment they had parted for more than… two minutes, tops. There was no way…

“Hyuck!” Jeno shouted, drawing the brunette’s attention as he was forcibly lead from the room. “You know me, Hyuck. I didn’t do this! Don’t believe them!” 

The door closed behind the boatmen, including the master at arms, and Clarke as they left, sealing Donghyuck to his fate alone in the sitting room with Yukhei. 

A tense moment passed as the elder walked casually into the closet, returning the necklace to it’s nice box and pulling out a sheet of paper from the safe where Donghyuck had left it earlier. 

_“ Darling now you can keep us both locked in your safe,”_ he read as he returned to the sitting room. 

Donghyuck looked away, unable to meet Yukhei’s gaze in the dimly lit room. It reminded him of earlier in the evening, the fire lit and furniture out of place; except this time he was frightened, his heart pounding from fear rather than excitement. 

“Look at me, slut,” Yukhei demanded, stepping in front of Donghyuck and forcing his face upwards with a hand gripping his chin. “Did you have fun?” 

He brandished Donghyuck’s note in front of his face with his free hand before crumpling it and tossing it harshly into the fire. The brunette flinched once more at the sound of the parchment beginning to burn. He could hear his blood rushing in his ears, his heart threatening to burst in his chest. 

When Yukhei released his face, Donghyuck swallowed harshly, taking a deep breath that was cut short by the impact of Yukhei’s palm across his cheek. He gasped loudly, both hands flying up to hover above his stinging cheek, but he didn’t make any other movements. 

“I hope you enjoyed being the poor man’s whore for the night, honeydrop,” Yukhei cooed, stepping as close to Donghyuck as he could and cupping his cheeks gently, forcing their eyes to meet once more. He kissed Donghyuck softly, just a press of lips that felt wrong, too firm, too demanding, and it’s that action that finally wrenched a strangled sob from Donghyuck’s throat. 

“Be a good boy and sit pretty for the rest of the night, alright?” 

Donghyuck doesn’t have it in him to fight back. It’s all he can do to plop onto the still displaced couch and let himself shed a few yearning tears for the life that could have been, the life that was ripped away from him as Jeno was taken away a criminal.

* * *

“Hey, I don’t suppose you could, like, loosen these a little or something?” Jeno tried his best to sound casual as the master at arms lead him below deck, down even farther than his bunk with Jaemin and Renjun, but his voice came out strained regardless. 

The small cabin was nothing special; a cabinet against one wall with a menagerie of keys in it, a desk adjacent to it, several poles with the intention of keeping people attached to them. 

Jeno was uncuffed for a moment only to be cuffed once more, his hands bound around one of the thick poles to keep him from evading them before they docked. He scoffed at the thought, knowing good and well they wouldn’t be getting that far. 

He was about to speak again when shouting from down the hallways caught their attention, and the master at arms gave a little huff. 

“I’ve got to go deal with the rest of the filth of this ship,” he said, scowling at Jeno. “No funny business.” 

“Oh, don’t worry,” Clarke said, hovering in the doorway like some kind of spectre. “I’ll keep an eye on him.” 

“There’s bigger fish to fry,” the blonde half-begged once it was just him and Clarke in the room. 

“Oh, I’m aware,” the gentleman said, pulling an ornately engraved gun from a holster at his side and beginning to clean it thoroughly, placing the bullets on the nearby table and grinning as the began to roll towards him. “I reckon we’ll have at least half an hour before the water gets here, though, don’t you?” 

Jeno sighed, knocking his head against the pole before shooting Clarke a glare, a look the elder returned with an easy grin, and the continued little sounds of his gun as he cleaned it. 

* * *

Donghyuck knows it’s too late by the time they’ve all been gathered on the upper deck. Yukhei and his mother had been unhappy, demanding to know why they’d been forced outside at such a late hour, but he just followed along solemnly, knowing exactly why. He pulled his long coat close to himself, shivering in his pajamas in the late-night breeze. There hardly seemed to be a point to all the fuss. The ship had life boats ready to be used, why weren’t they using them? Unless…

An antsy sort of panic moved throughout the crowd on deck, and Donghyuck felt hyper aware of just how many people were aboard the ship. Something didn’t feel right.

When a familiar face passed by, he shot a hand out to catch Jongdae’s arm as the elder seemed to be wandering aimlessly through the mass of people.

“Mr. Kim,” Donghyuck called. “Mr. Kim!” 

Jongdae turned to look at him, eyes full of dread, expression blank.

“Tell me the truth,” the brunette pleaded, clutching onto Jongdae’s arm. “Please. I saw the iceberg.” 

He could see Jongdae swallow harshly before opening and closing his mouth a few times until, finally, he said, “I don’t want anyone to panic… The damage has already been done…” 

Donghyuck felt Yukhei’s presence crowd behind him.

“Titanic will sink,” Jongdae finished, shaking eyes looking from Donghyuck to Yukhei and back again. “There’s nothing more to it and nothing to be done about it.” 

When he turned to leave again, Donghyuck didn’t stop him. Instead the younger stood there, hand still outstretched, mouth slightly open in shock. 

A few items on deck began sliding along the now tilted surface of the boat, pulled by gravity into the waiting freezing water. Yukhei grabbed Donghyuck’s upper arm and tugged him along as they started moving towards a few ready-to-sail lifeboats lining the deck, and he went without issue until a voice in the back of his head said _Jeno’s down there._

He wrenched his arm from Yukhei’s grip, flinching back when the elder barks a shout of something at him as he turned to scurry away. Unfortunately, speed was not something Donghyuck was known for, and Yukhei caught him again easily, his grip bruising around Donghyuck’s wrist. 

“Let me go!” the brunette demanded, trying to yank away once more.

“Why?” Yukhei hissed, pulling Donghyuck close to him once more. “So you can run off to _him_ again? Didn’t I tell you your time being his whore was over?” 

The rage that filled Donghyuck in the moment was indescribable. He didn’t even fully register raising his fist and swinging it until Yukhei had stumbled back a few feet and was clutching his jaw. The motion had felt fluid and insignificant, like he’d done it a million times, and he made a mental note to thank Jeno for showing him the proper form. 

“I’d rather be his whore than your husband,” Donghyuck spat, spinning on his heel and taking off before Yukhei had any hope of grabbing him again. He could only hope he got his message across. 

* * *

Clarke left the moment the water started seeping into the room, happily leaving Jeno chained to a pole and inevitably going to die. In the time since then, the blonde had managed to drag the desk closer with his foot for the sole purpose of climbing on top of it, which, he had to admit, was fucking _difficult_ without proper use of his hands.

But he did it, and so he stood on the desk, shouting down the slowly flooding hallway in hopes of someone, _anyone_ coming to help him. 

“Hey!” He shouted once more, jangling his cuffs around so the chain connected them would rattle against the metal pole. “Anybody! Help!” 

The first time he heard it, he thought he had already died, or maybe he was hallucinating. The faint call of Donghyuck’s voice. _Jeno!_

“H...Hyuck?” Jeno called, half-hearted. There’s no way it was really Donghyuck, so there was no real reason for trying to call back, right? 

Except Donghyuck’s voice got louder, accompanied by the telltale sound of someone splashing through shin-deep water. Jeno watched with wide eyes as Donghyuck, his visage relieving like an oasis in a desert, stumbled past the doorway, footing uneasy in the water. 

“Hyuck! Hyuck come back!” Jeno yelled, frantically clanging his cuffs against the pole. “Hyuck!” 

It only took a moment of wild splashing and distressed whines for Donghyuck to reappear in the doorway, eyes wide when they fell on Jeno atop the desk.

“Jeno!” Donghyuck sloshed into the room, already shivering from the freezing water rising continuously up to his hips. He rushed in — as much as one can rush in water — and grasped desperately at Jeno when he was close enough, grabbing his cheeks and kissing him as if it was the last thing he’d ever do. “Jeno, oh my god.”

“You found me,” Jeno breathed, relief washing over him between kisses. “I didn’t do it. You know I didn’t do it.”

“I know,” Donghyuck confirmed, shaking his head. “I’m so sorry, Jeno.” 

“It’s fine,” the blonde says, basking in Donghyuck’s presence for another moment before glancing around the room once more. “It’s fine, but we’re not going to be unless we can get out of here. There’s keys in that cabinet, we have to check them.” 

Donghyuck nodded and waded over to the cabinet, throwing it open haphazardly and grabbing several before turning back to begin trying the keys in the cuffs, one by one.

By some miracle, the key was in the cabinet, or at least a spare was. The pair was able to get out of the room before the water rose to their chests, and found the nearest stairwell to get as far away from the water as they could. 

They were surprised enough to find most of the third-class passengers… weren’t rushing around. Like they had already just given up. It made Donghyuck’s chest ache, but he couldn’t think too hard on it as Jeno pulled him along. 

At an intersection of several hallways, they met up with a heavily breathing Renjun — or Renjun ran into them, is more like it. He came barrelling down the hall, vision blurred by tears, until he collided with Jeno and was able to recognize him.

“Jeno!” Renjun sobbed, grasping his shirt. “Please, please help. It’s Jaemin. I— He—” 

Jeno cut him off with a nod, determination burning in his eyes, and Renjun lead them back down the hall, to where a wheezing Jaemin sat pinned down by a large pipe. Several pipes were kept below deck, in case they were needed for repairs or something, and apparently one got knocked over in a fuss of running, landing hard and heavy on one of Jaemin’s legs. 

“We couldn’t move it,” Renjun explained, wiping fruitlessly at the tears dripping down his cheeks. “Please help me. Please.” 

“Injunnie,” Jaemin cooed, voice strained as he reached out towards his boyfriend. “I told you to go. I’ll be nothing but deadweight to you.” 

“Shut up,” Renjun whined, sniffling as he bent down to grip the pipe once more, this time aided by both Jeno and Donghyuck. “Like hell I’m leaving you here.”

It didn’t take too long with the three of them working together, and Renjun was able to pull Jaemin out of the way while Donghyuck and Jeno somehow managed to hold the pipe up just long enough for them both to clear out. The way Renjun clung to Jaemin reminded Donghyuck of a painting he saw once of a pair of lovers. The name always evaded him, but the image itself in his head slowly seemed to morph from two strangers into Jaemin and Renjun. 

As they decided to head up to the deck, they discovered the hard part of this rescue mission wasn’t the pipe, but getting Jaemin and his very _definitely_ broken leg up several flights of stairs, among a fairly large panicked crowd. The gate separating third-class from the rest of the ship had long since been broken through, leaving some jagged pieces of metal from where it was clearly broken. 

The crowd on the deck seemed to grow exponentially, groups of shoving passengers crowded around boats before they were ready to depart, boatmen were shouting this and that. It was a mess trying to get Jaemin and Renjun anywhere in the ruckus. Jeno didn’t expect Jaehyun, of all people, to find him and demand he follow. 

The other side of the boat was significantly less crowded, it seemed, and it was easy enough for Jaehyun to climb into one of the lifeboats and bring Renjun and Jaemin along with him. 

“I’ll take care of these two,” he said, smiling fondly for a moment before his eyes darted behind Jeno. “Is Donghyuck not with you?” 

Jeno spun on his heel, terror gripping his already racing heart. Donghyuck had been right behind them; he shouldn’t be too far, but a quick lap around the deck didn’t reveal him anywhere, and Jeno felt panic threaten to suffocate him for the first time since they cuffed him earlier in the night. 

“I have to go find him,” he said to Jaehyun, ignoring the frightened eyes of Renjun and Jaemin. “We’ll find you later.”

“Jeno!” Jaehyun called for him one last time as he walked away. “Be careful!” 

“Right back at you!” the blonde shouted back, throwing a thumbs up over his shoulder before pushing through the crowd into the interior of Titanic once more. 

* * *

“I think I told you once before, honeydrop, that I would not be made a fool of.” 

Yukhei’s voice lacked any of the typical sugar as he carried a squirming Donghyuck down the halls of first class lodging. His arm was wrapped tightly around Donghyuck’s waist, holding him well in place tossed over the elder’s shoulder. Donghyuck was scared, thrashing and shouting and hitting Yukhei’s broad shoulders.

“Stop!” Donghyuck yelled, though it fell on Yukhei’s deaf ears; obviously he wouldn’t give up so easily. Donghyuck’s mother had said it herself. No other person had tried to hold on to him as hard as Yukhei had. 

“Yukhei, knock it off!” he continued regardless, feeling tossed around and small, like the kind of doll he often saw boys snatch from their siblings and fling around. “Please, stop.” 

The huffed laugh was the only response he got to his pleas, which slowly morphed from loud and demanding to soft, spoken between broken sobs. 

He didn’t even notice when they entered into their suite, only paying attention once more when Yukhei tossed him — quite haphazardly — onto the large bed in the room he’d waited up for the brunette in every night. Donghyuck bounced ever so slightly before he was able to get his bearings, and he curled up as much as he could, pushing himself to the head of the bed to watch Yukhei with wide eyes. 

“My, my, Hyuckie,” the elder cooed, loosening his tie and taking off his suit jacket to throw onto a nearby chair, the grin that spread across his face was cruel, predatory. “Don’t you look like a bunny cornered in the woods.”

“Don’t come near me,” Donghyuck warned, eyes darting frantically around the room, tear tracks staining his cheeks. There were two doors; one leading to the sitting room and one leading to the closet, and Donghyuck was internally debating which route would be best if he were to make a run for it. The sitting room led back to the hallway, where the closet led into the room he had slept in, which in turn led to another room. “Wong Yukhei don’t you _dare.”_

“Don’t I dare,” Yukhei chuckled, taking a few slow steps towards the bed anyway. “You wound me, honeydrop. Running off with a piece of trash while this ship sinks from beneath us.”

“Leave me alone,” Donghyuck hiccuped around a sob as Yukhei stepped closer again and again, until he was leaning across the bed, reaching for Donghyuck with one large hand. 

“Now, now,” he tsked, eyes cold. “That’s not anyway for a man to react to his husband, is it? And that’s what we are. _Husbands._ And if we’re going to die on this god forsaken ship, it’ll be as husbands. As intended.”

When Yukhei’s hand wrapped around his ankle, Donghyuck could only grasp onto the sheets and pray. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing out a few more tears, and send his silent prayer to the universe. _Jeno. Jeno, please save me._ Yukhei’s face was the first thing he saw upon opening his eyes once more, and a few more frightened tears streamed from his eyes, trailing down his temples as he stared up at what had become his worst nightmare. 

“We can’t have this, can we?” Yukhei mocked, lifting a hand to wipe the wetness from his temples gently, delicately, as if he was trying not to hurt Donghyuck, like he was a porcelain doll. “No more tears, pretty. We’re fine, yeah? We can just pretend that boy never existed, that he didn’t lay his filthy hands on what’s _mine.”_

Hardly a second passed between when Yukhei finished talking and when there was a dense _thud_ and his eyes rolled back in his head. Donghyuck thankfully reacted quick enough to move out of the way of Yukhei’s momentarily indisposed form as it flopped onto the bed. He gasped loudly, terrified, before looking over to see Jeno standing just behind where Yukhei had stood, a broken piece of wood in his hands.

“You came!” Donghyuck sobbed, scrambling off the bed to rush into Jeno’s arms. He buried his face in the blonde’s neck, clutching desperately at his shirt. “You came.” 

“Of course,” Jeno murmured, returning the embrace and rubbing a soothing hand over Donghyuck’s hair, down his back. “I’ll always come for you, Hyuck.” 

Donghyuck pulled his face from Jeno’s neck to press their lips together, harder than intended but relieved and so, so happy. 

“Thank you,” he said, kissing him again and again. “I was so scared.” 

“Mmm,” Jeno hummed softly, hoping Donghyuck couldn’t feel how hard his heart was pounding, how his hands would shake if he kept them still for more than a moment. “I was too. When Jaehyun pointed out you weren’t with me, I thought I probably died and was in hell. I couldn’t imagine a worse scenario.” 

“I could,” came a half-growl, half-groan from Yukhei, only out for a moment before coming back to his senses. “I would think dying would be a worse scenario.” 

In an instant, Jeno pushed Donghyuck to the side and lunged forwards, catching Yukhei’s hands, one holding what seemed to be Clarke’s engraved pistol. It was a battle of strength between the two, who could get into position and keep the other from moving. 

Yukhei landed a knee square in Jeno’s pelvis, knocking the younger’s breath from his lungs, and Donghyuck rushed forwards grabbing Yukhei’s arm and biting his wrist in a last-ditch effort to make him drop the firearm. Luckily enough, it worked, and the gun clattered to the floor by Donghyuck’s feet, and he ducked down to grab it and stumble a few feet away, pointing the gun at Yukhei with shaking hands. 

“Honeydrop,” Yukhei’s voice was low as he lifted his hands in a defensive motion, trying to say he meant no harm, as if he was innocent in the moment. “Don’t be rash.”

“Don’t be rash?!” Donghyuck demanded, fury bleeding through his fear. “That’s rich coming from you.” 

“I’ll leave you alone,” the elder said, though his face was still angry, clearly unable to even try to put up a facade of pleasantness. “Just put the gun down.”

“Promise,” Donghyuck said, cocking the gun with unpracticed hands. “Swear you’ll leave us alone.” 

“I swear it,” Yukhei confirmed, glancing down at Jeno, still wheezing from the hard hit. “I’ll leave you alone.” 

Trusting Yukhei blindly would be foolish, Donghyuck knew this, but he wanted to believe the elder would take him seriously with a _gun_ in his hands. It seemed like an easy enough deal to go through with. Slowly, he knelt down, placing the still-cocked gun on its side on the floor. 

But people don’t change so easily, and Yukhei lunged towards him as soon as the gun was firmly on the floor. 

“Hyuck!” Jeno let out an alarmed groan, finally catching his breath, but a moment too late. 

Donghyuck snatched the gun back up and squeezed his eyes closed, pointing it loosely in Yukhei’s direction before pulling the trigger. 

The sound was deafening in the enclosed space, and Donghyuck’s ears were ringing when he realized what had just happened. He dropped the smoking gun as if it was burnt him, and took a step back, wide eyes trained on Yukhei’s limp body on the floor, the pool of blood quickly spreading around him. 

“Donghyuck,” Jeno called, coming to his side as quickly as he could. “Donghyuck we have to go.” 

“I shot him,” Donghyuck gasped, shaking as he reached for Jeno at his side. “I-I killed him, Jeno.” 

“Baby, we was going to do the same to one of us,” Jeno reassured him, pressing a kiss to his forehead before looking him square in the eyes. “I know this must feel rough, but we’ve got to go before it’s too late and we end up joining him in the after-life, too.” 

Donghyuck nodded, tightly holding Jeno’s hand and letting the blonde pull him from the room and back onto the deck after grabbing Yukhei’s overcoat from by the door. 

He was still shaking when they emerged, but not entirely from shock as the freezing night air enveloped him. Jeno, ever-prepared, swung Yukhei’s jacket over the other’s shoulders, pulling it tight around his slight form. He knew Donghyuck had to be freezing in his night clothes, stiffly shorts doing nothing to protect his legs from the inevitable freeze around them. 

“There’s a _lot_ of boats near the front,” Jeno said, holding Donghyuck’s shoulders and looking him in the eye once more. “I’m going to go try to unhook one, but I need you to stay here—”

“N-no,” Donghyuck said immediately, grabbing Jeno’s shirt and shaking his head. “Don’t leave me alone, please. I can help.” 

“I know you can,” the other assured him. “But I’m trying to keep you from getting back in the water too soon and freezing to death. I’ll be quick, and I’ll call you to come jump in.” 

“Jeno—”

“Hyuck, I need you to trust me.” 

Instead of answering, this time Donghyuck just nods, pressed close to the side of the ship, and lets Jeno jog away from him. He feels horribly exposed on his own, and it’s all he can do to keep his eyes glued to the shock of blonde hair further down the deck, closer to where the ship is tilted, water rising quickly. 

It was easy enough for him to zone out, exhausted and cold, and it wasn’t until Jeno called his name that Donghyuck’s focus honed in once more on his surroundings. The water was closer than before, almost pulling Jeno down where he stood cutting the final ropes from the lifeboat. 

“Donghyuck!” He yelled and Donghyuck could hear how rough his voice was, how tired he must have been too. “Come on.” 

He did as he was told, thankful for having put on his shoes when they were first summoned to the upper decks as his feet pounded against the wood, even when he almost slipped on an icy patch on his way. It wasn’t long before he and Jeno were in the lifeboat together, unnoticed by the crowds of panicking people trying to stay away from the water. Together, they pulled the oars to and fro, trying to put as must distance between them and the boat as they possibly could. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough, and they watched, from much closer than they would have liked, as Titanic split in half, the back end vertical to the horizon before plunging downwards. The adrenaline rushing through them had been enough up until now to ignore the screaming, the din of panic as people had jumped off the boat, as a gunshot went off, but in the moment of the Titanic’s stern sunk down, creating a current that their lifeboat was going to get caught in, Donghyuck could hear everything crystal clear. Jeno was shouting something at him, clutching both hands like a lifeline, but he was more focused on the creaking of the ship, the rushing water. 

A moment later found them underwater, their boat flipped over somewhere as the underflow pushed and pulled them, nearly ripping them from one another. 

Breaching the surface again felt almost too cruel, the night air biting worse than the freezing water as Donghyuck gulped air like he hadn’t taken a breath in years. 

“Hyuck,” Jeno panted, tugging his arm where their hands had somehow stayed together. “Boat, come on.” 

Slowly, they paddled through the wreckage and floating bodies, the luggage and knick-knacks, to where their boat had been pushed away to. Jeno, seeming more hero than human, flipped the boat over properly, and helped boost Donghyuck up into it. 

“Come on,” Donghyuck said, frozen vocal cords weakening to a course whisper. He held his hand out to the blonde in the water. “Jeno.”

It took a moment for them to get Jeno into the boat, but he gratefully laid on one of the benches once he was onboard, breathing heavy through chattering teeth. Donghyuck curled into a ball on the floor of the boat at his side, one hand grasping his desperately even though he could feel how the water was freezing their skin together. 

“I’m so tired now,” he said softly, voice scratchy. His eyelids drooped as he said it. 

“Don’t fall asleep,” Jeno said urgently, turning on his side to look at Donghyuck below him. “Stay with me, Hyuck.” 

“Jeno… Thank you so much,” Donghyuck muttered, barely able to open his eyes to take in Jeno’s exhausted, worried face. “I’m so glad I met you. I—”

He sighed deeply, letting his eyes fall closed before saying, “Tell me again. What we’ll do at the pier.” 

There was a pause, a moment of hesitation before Donghyuck felt the frozen fabric of Jeno’s jacket drape over his bare legs, pallid from the cold. Then Jeno spoke, softly, saying, “Alright. At the pier we’ll… We’ll ride the roller coaster until we’re sick, and drink cheap beer. We’ll pay ten cents for a portrait by some guy trying to make enough money to leave. We’ll ride horses together on the beach, right in the surf…”


	4. EPILOGUE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow thanks for sticking around to read if youve gotten this far :D

_Renjun,_

_We’re both so pleased to hear you’re faring alright. It’s a relief that Jaehyun took you in so warmly._

_Make sure Jaemin keeps from getting in trouble. He needs to rest so his leg will heal properly, anyway._

_As for us, we’re… alive. Jeno laughs at me when I tell him I’ve never felt more alive, but it couldn’t be more true. My only complaint is that It’s taken longer than I’d like to recover from the surgery, but I know it will take time for me to adjust to life after an amputation. I’m just eager to go elsewhere, everywhere._

_Oh, yes, the emerald. I’m sure someone will come knocking on my door looking for it one day, but for now it’s hidden away. Jeno doesn’t even know where I’ve put it. The chain fetched a good price, though, and I’m glad to tell you we still have the funds to visit soon. Jeno is eager to see you both, especially since he felt awful for how he left you with Jaehyun and you didn’t see him again until we docked._

_I’ve never met Jaehyun’s son, though you make him sound lovely. I do hope you and Jaemin aren’t giving him too much trouble. He sounds sweet and unsure of how to handle whatever affection you two throw at him. I’m sure he’s confused. I think you should just talk to him. If Mark is anything like Jaehyun, communication is the way to make sure he understands you; You can’t just wave flags and hope he knows semaphore._

_I’m afraid I don’t have much else to report for now, though I wish I could be as long winded as I once was writing letters to friends. We’ll see you soon._

_Sincerely yours,  
Donghyuck _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope u all enjoyed uwu enjoy ur markrenmin crumbs too

**Author's Note:**

> i almost put my links here but forgot i cant yet lmao check back later
> 
> thank you for reading and thank you to 00ff for giving me the opportunity


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